Bound to You
by Demon Lord's Moon
Summary: Famous singer Nakamura Tsukiko returns home after living in America for seven years. Her father has asked for it, supposedly for assistance in a business deal. No one knows why she's /truly/ home, though - not even Tsuki herself. When she's dragged into affairs with the Host Club, however, it all unravels in the most unlikely of ways. / / temporary MoriOC, slow-build KyoyaOC
1. Like Other Girls

_Disclaimer: If I owned Ouran High School Host Club, it'd be pretty damn obvious that I wouldn't be posting this on a fanfic site._

Hello, there! If I have managed to grab your attention, that actually means quite a bit to me. This is my first fanfiction story for OHSHC, so you may have to bear with me for me to get the Host Club's personalities in order. I know it's not perfect, nor will it ever be, but I hope they aren't too horribly portrayed. :)

Now, I know you're here to read the story, so I won't waste your time any longer. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of "Bound to You" (title subject to change - if it does, I will put it in the summary)!

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><p><em><strong>chapter i<strong>_

"_Oh, my gods, I think it's her!"_

"_It is her! The famous singer!"_

_xxx_

"_What's she doing here? I thought she had moved to America for good..."_

"_No, you idiot – she was just touring there."_

"_For seven years?"_

_xxx_

"_I wonder if she'll give out autographs!"_

"_Why don't you go ask?"_

Tsukiko (better known as Tsuki) Nakamura sighed, realizing that any possibility of a peaceful entrance into the school had been demolished. She knew that she couldn't have expected to sit in the courtyard, leaned against a tree, without any ruckus being created. She had simply hoped that, amongst the so-called "elite" students, she would not be treated any differently than a new girl at the school. Her quiet morning ended, she slowly opened her eyes and pushed herself off the ground, barely pausing to brush the grass off the skirt of her dress before she scooped up her bag and proceeded up the walkway. She was not impolite to the students – in fact, she held her head high and smiled warmly, nodding at the groups she passed by. It was not in her nature to be mean to anyone, and it was no one else's fault but hers for being a famous singer at her young age. Actually if anything bothered her about her current position, it was that none of the students had the guts to approach her, though all of them stared at her with awestruck expressions.

However, she did not allow herself to release the pent-up sigh until she entered the school, which was mostly barren except for two stray students down the hallway. However, they seemed rather preoccupied, so she was allowed to lean her back against the door frame and relax for a moment. She let her head fall back so she could gaze up at the ceiling, relishing in the silence that filled the corridors. It crossed her mind that what she was doing was a mistake (in fact, it had crossed her mind at least four other times in the past hour – and way too many in the past week in which everything had been processed) but it wasn't like she could turn back now – she was there, and there she was going to stay. "There" being one of the most prestigious high schools in Japan: Ouran Academy. She sighed, pushing a hand through her brown locks as she pushed away the reason she had been sent there in the first place; it wasn't something she really wanted to think about.

Pushing off the wall, Tsuki started walking, knowing she had roughly an hour to get to her classroom – and she had no clue where to even start looking. No one had thought through the fact that she would probably need a tour of the school, in order to find out how to get around to at least the most basic areas. So what better way to get acquainted with it than by roaming around the school in order to get her bearings? Pulling a folded piece of paper out of her satchel, she glanced down at it to figure out what room she was supposed to be looking for, anyway. She figured that if she really needed to find the cafeteria or anything else (and she didn't find it when she was searching for her classroom), she could ask one of the students – after all, any of them would be willing to help her. Refolding and replacing the "schedule" she had been given (honestly, she didn't know how they could call the piece of paper a schedule when she stayed in the same room all day except for lunch and a physical education class – back in America she changed classes seven times a day, sometimes eight).

Thus, with at least a direction to go by, the famous Tsuki Nakamura set off up a set of stairs, figuring they had to lead her somewhere.

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><p><em>Tsuki's POV<em>

"Oh, come on!" I complained as I walked into yet another corridor that led me absolutely nowhere. I was utterly lost; I had run into so many "dead end" hallways that I honestly couldn't remember which way I had come in the first place. Groaning, I made a half-hearted attempt to get myself out of the mass maze I was in and find a main corridor – or even a staircase or window. I knew almost immediately that I took a wrong turn, so I moved back to the hallway I had turned off from and looked around to see if there was any way for me to figure out how I had gotten there. Sighing heavily, I continued to walk, taking any branch I could find that I thought would lead me back to one of the main corridors. After I had wasted another few minutes, I resorted to one of the last things I knew to do: I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the number for one of my old friends. I didn't expect the boy to answer, so when I heard my friend's voice – obviously confused – I sighed in relief.

"Shi-bear, I'm lost in your school," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed and like a little child. "I'm somewhere on the second floor..."

There was a long pause before the male spoke, "I'm on my way. Sing for me."

"But—" I started to speak, but the beeping of an ended call reached my ears before I could finish saying that I didn't want to attract anyone's attention. Frowning, I slid to the floor, flipped my cell phone shut, and closed my eyes. Leaning back against the stone wall, I started singing, just as I had been told.

"Where have all good men gone  
>And where are all the gods?<br>Where's the street-wise Hercules  
>To fight the rising odds?<p>

Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?  
>Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need<p>

I need a hero  
>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night<br>He's gotta be strong  
>And he's gotta be fast<br>And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero  
>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light<br>He's gotta be sure  
>And it's gotta be soon<br>And he's gotta be larger than life, larger than life

Somewhere after midnight  
>In my wildest fantasy<br>Somewhere just beyond my reach  
>There's someone reaching back for me<p>

Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
>It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet<p>

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above  
>Out where the lightning splits the sea<br>I could swear there is someone somewhere  
>Watching me<p>

Through the wind and the chill and the rain  
>And the storm and the flood<br>I can feel his approach  
>Like a fire in my blood<p>

I need a hero  
>I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night<br>And he's gotta be sure  
>And it's gotta be soon<br>And he's gotta be larger than life

Oh, he's gotta be strong  
>And he's gotta be fast<br>And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero!"

A chuckle that was so familiar but so unfamiliar at the same time rang out in the silent hallway. "Wow, Kiki. Of all songs, you choose one from _Shrek 2_?**(1)** You haven't changed a bit," the male teased.

I smiled, pushing myself up to my feet and slowly opening my eyes to reveal the sparkling green irises. "Hiroshi-kun..." I sighed, a sigh that held a wealth of emotion. I was able to ignore all the other students who had come looking for the source of the music, was able to ignore everything but the black-haired boy before me. A slow smile curved my lips – a sad yet happy smile – and then I was running and jumping at the boy. He caught me easily, as if it hadn't been seven years since he last did it, and swung me around before hugging me closely to him. "I missed you," I whispered into his shoulder, trying to hold back tears.

Hiroshi chuckled, planting a kiss on the top of my head as he replied, "I missed you, too, Kiki." He slowly pulled back from me, seeing that I was still composed, and then let me go so I could step back. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

I couldn't tell him the truth, not yet, and so I lied. "I wanted to surprise you, Shi-bear. Of course, this wasn't what I had in mind," I muttered, motioning around us. I wasn't exactly talking about the plethora of students since that had been bound to happen anyway, which was why I hoped he knew that I hadn't expected to be calling him because I had gotten lost.

"Eh, it's like old times, ne?" Hiroshi answered, grinning as he ruffled my hair. "You getting lost and calling me to give you directions. Though I can't believe you didn't ask someone to tell you how to get to your classroom. You're going to make a lot of people late now, and they won't have an excuse."

"Excuse me?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows. "Last I checked, you were the one who told me to sing, so I think that makes you the reason people are late. I'd suggest you start apologizing now because it's going to take a while."

Hiroshi studied me before he chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, come on, like any of them would blame you in the first place. Besides, most teachers are probably expecting your arrival, so the tardiness of their students should not factor into our problems."

I laughed, shaking my head incredulously. How had I lived without this boy for so long? "I love how you come up with that idea after your scrawny butt gets put on the line," I teased, winking at him slyly.

Hiroshi sighed melodramatically. "You are so cruel, Kiki." Then he suddenly grinned, wagging his brows at me. "Wait, you've been looking at my butt?"

I halfheartedly hit him on the arm as I walked past him, finding a slight amusement in the way all the students moved aside and started whispering amongst themselves. It was actually rather easy to find my way back to the main corridor of the second floor since the students were lined up that way.

"See, you didn't need me at all, Kiki. The students could have helped you out of here," Hiroshi teased, earning a narrowed glance his way. "You haven't changed a bit. What classroom are you supposed to be in?"

"Hm? Oh, I know where that room is. I was trying to find the restroom," I answered, feeling my face flush slightly in embarrassment.

"Why didn't you say so? The restroom is the other way," Hiroshi grumbled, hooking his arm around mine to lead me in the opposite direction.

"H-hey, stop it!" I exclaimed, pulling my arm away from his. "I don't have to go right now; it was just in case I did need to."

Hiroshi looked like he wanted to faceplant like they did in those animes he and I used to constantly watch, but he kept himself composed (though he did give me a look that showed he was questioning my intelligence) and proceeded to walk to the classroom I was supposed to be in. After they arrived, he looked at me and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry you and I aren't in the same class, but I'll definitely see you at lunch, and if you can find your way to the front courtyard after school lets out, we can walk to this café I know and catch up there."

I smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Shi-bear." Hiroshi smiled back and pulled me into a hug once again, kissing my temple, before he released me and sauntered off to his own classroom. Expelling a heavy sigh, I turned around and composed myself before I walked into classroom 2A.

This time, rather than an empty classroom, I found myself facing a room almost entirely full of students (I assumed some of them had gone to listen to my singing) with a teacher standing at the front desk, obviously irritated about something. I moved the strap on my bag higher up on my shoulder, feeling rather self-conscious, and approached the teacher.

The teacher looked up at me and smiled brightly, her cerulean eyes glowing. "Good morning, Tsukiko. It's a pleasure to meet you and have you here at Ouran Academy. My name is Ishii Mitsune," the blonde woman introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Ms. Ishii, and I am glad to be here," I answered back just as warmly, even though I wasn't sure about the latter half of my statement. Then, I added, "Also, I prefer to go by Tsuki, if that's all right."

Ms. Ishii's smile widened, and she nodded before she looked away from me to speak to another student. "Kyoya, would you please come up here?"

I looked at the students to see all of them looking at me, so it wasn't until a black-haired boy set down the book he was holding, stood, and walked towards us that I knew who "Kyoya" was. As he approached, I found myself noticing small things about him. He had a rather elegant gait, and his skin looked fair, though a little on the pale side (but he didn't look sickly). His black hair was a little on the short side, his bangs hanging slightly in his face but not enough to obscure his vision – which would have been humorous since he was already wearing glasses to aid his vision impairment. It wasn't until he was directly in front of us that I could see his eyes – a fairly dark shade of gray. His face wasn't very warm or friendly as he looked at me and then at the teacher, but there was something about it that was actually appealing. I wasn't prone to notice the attractive features of a male, but there was something about him that was very captivating.

"Tsuki, this is Ootori Kyoya," Ms. Ishii introduced, and I had to make myself not blink in surprise. Was it really going to be that easy – and was all this a coincedence, or was it my father's doing? "Kyoya, this is Nakamura Tsuki. She's our new transfer student. Since you're our class representative, I was hoping you would help her for the first few days so she can adjust, considering she came from America."

Kyoya bowed politely with an, "Of course, Ms. Ishii." He then turned to me, offering a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes. "If you would follow me." The black-haired boy returned to his seat where the blonde who was seated in the desk behind his abruptly jumped up and took my hand, placing a light kiss on the back of it.

"Please excuse my friend, my beautiful princess. He does not always show the proper respect for a lady like yourself," the blonde spoke dramatically, flashing a dazzling smile at me as his blue eyes sparkled. He was more tan than his black-haired friend, and though he was handsome, he wasn't so much attractive to me as he was cute. With this one, it was an immediate "friend zone" since he reminded me a lot of an excited puppy – possibly a golden retriever.

"And you are...?" I queried, raising my brows at him and showing him I wasn't the least bit fazed by his attentions.

"Suoh Tamaki, at your service!" the blonde exclaimed gallantly, bowing low.

I pulled my hand from his and turned to Kyoya, who was the exact opposite of Tamaki in every way. "You two are friends?" I couldn't help the incredulity that crept into my voice, and I almost felt bad since Tamaki seemed to wilt. Even so, I still looked at him and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Suoh-kun, but there is a distinct difference in the two of you, particularly with the warmth you possess and that he lacks." Looking back at Kyoya, I made an assumption, "Formalities come easily to you, I suppose, Ootori-san. Most people probably don't even notice the difference between the polite smile you give them over a real one." Kyoya's eyes, if possible, only hardened more, and I simply shrugged. "There is no need to look at me like that, Ootori-san. I am simply making an observation; I am not saying anything against you, particularly since I do not know the reasoning behind your personality."

"Hm. You addressed Kyoya as 'Ootori-san,' but addressed me as 'Suoh-kun.' Why is that?" Tamaki questioned, genuinely interested (and possibly confused).

"Oh, I apologize for the presumption, but I did not think you would mind. If you would prefer, I can—" I didn't finish my statement because of the surprise I felt with how Tamaki's eyes were glistening in what looked like could be tears. Had I offended him in some way?

I yelped in surprise as I was suddenly jerked into a tight (as well as awkward) embrace, hearing Tamaki's voice going off into an excited rant – half Japanese, half French. I understood all of it, even though the only relevant piece of information was that he was perfectly happy with my calling him "Suoh-kun," even though he wouldn't care if I called him Tamaki. Considering I didn't know him very well (or at all), I thought calling him by his first name might anger some people and decided it'd be best to just call him "Suoh-kun" and leave it at that for now. "Uh, Suoh-kun, do you mind releasing me? This isn't very comfortable for me," I spoke up, but he didn't hear me. "Suoh-kun?" I tried again, a little louder.

"Tamaki," Kyoya snapped, and the blonde shut up and looked over at the black-haired boy. "She wants you to shut up and let go of her."

Tamaki looked down at me for confirmation, and I nodded. "I have this concept called personal space, and you have obliterated it." Thus, Tamaki proceeded to release me and apologize multiple times. I sighed heavily and looked over at Kyoya. "Ootori-san, does he not have an 'off' button?"

Kyoya looked up from his notebook he was writing in and glanced at Tamaki, who was ranting once more, before looking at me, not saying a word. The blank look in his eyes gave me enough information to know he wasn't going to answer my question, so I sighed and instead asked a different one. "Am I supposed to sit here, or will I need to find a different seat?" I motioned to the seat to his right.

"No."

The response was ambiguous, and I found myself gritting my teeth, my eyes narrowing slightly.

And that was when Kyoya Ootori first smirked at me. **(2)**

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><p>Three hours later, we had a short break before our fourth class started (after which we had lunch). I found that I enjoyed the ten-minute break in between classes where the <em>teachers <em>switched rooms, rather than the _students._ I also liked the fifty-minute classes with the ten minutes in between, since that seemed to work well. Not to mention, the teachers didn't waste any time with the lessons and would go at a pace where it wasn't hard to write down what was being lectured.

However, since I had just transferred, I was slightly behind the rest of the class, which was why I turned in my seat to look at the two males in the row beside mine. Kyoya was reading and trying to ignore Tamaki – who was chattering nonstop, like he had the past two breaks – and I decided to give Kyoya a break. "Suoh-kun?" I questioned, reaching a hand out to touch his arm.

Tamaki stopped talking and turned to look at me, beaming as he took my hand in his. "Yes, my beautiful princess?"

I felt my eye twitch, but I decided to ignore his weird nickname for me. For now. Instead of gritting my teeth like I wanted to, I smiled at him. "Could you maybe explain the prose analysis we did in class today? I got lost with how Mr. Kobayashi was explaining it."

Tamaki's face lit up, and he immediately launched into his own explanation. "Of course! You understood what he meant by the big picture, right? The first paragraph is where you describe what the piece of prose means and is trying to say – the big picture. And then the following paragraphs are where you talk about how the writer describes the big picture, as in the techniques he uses. For example, in class today we just listed some possibilities for what could be used in the analysis, rather than really writing the analysis. We only said some of the really easy ones – like imagery, symbolism, and metaphor – but there were also some more insightful techniques, like... oh, parallelism! That's where a story can be interpreted two different ways since the real meaning is overshadowed by the symbolic meaning. And then there's the syntax, which is the wording that he used. Oh, and synecdoche – where the writer uses sentences that are a lot alike to create a pattern!" Tamaki looked like he was really getting into it, but he had already gotten way too far ahead of what I wanted to know, and I was completely lost with the techniques he was talking about.

Apparently he didn't even know what he was talking about because Kyoya suddenly announced, "Tamaki, don't start spouting off nonsense. All you're going to do is confuse her."

Tamaki pouted, looking over at Kyoya, "But I thought I was doing a good job..."

Kyoya sighed, obviously trying to look for patience in dealing with his blonde friend. Standing, he moved to stand in front of my desk, not even asking for permission before he opened my binder and pulled out the piece of prose from the prior class. "I don't have enough time to explain it to you right now, but I can at least correct what Tamaki has told you," the black-haired boy told me, starting to write down some information on my paper. "If you have time this evening, we can arrange a place to meet so that I can help you. If you do not, I can ask Mr. Kobayashi if we can be excused during class, and we can go to the library so I can discuss it with you."

I blinked up at him, rather shocked that he was willing to set aside time to help me. Though it would have been better for us to meet outside of school and not during class, I didn't know how long Hiroshi would keep me, and I also didn't know who all would be there with us – and then there was the problem of my not having spoken to my father since I arrived. "Actually, Ootori-san, I already have plans. I just got here late last night, so my father has not seen me," I explained carefully, worrying my lower lip between my teeth.

"If it cannot be avoided, then we will simply have to take time out of class tomorrow," Kyoya stated, not even looking up from the piece of paper on which he was so vigorously writing. After another moment, he looked up at me and turned the paper around, pointing down to where he had written. I noticed he'd written the three techniques that Tamaki had tried to explain to me, as well as a fourth one that I hadn't heard. "First – and Tamaki, you better listen as well – parallelism is where several words, sentences, or paragraphs are structured in the same, repetitive way to help the writer get his point across in a more precise way." He looked up at me for confirmation, and I nodded – this made a lot more sense than what Tamaki had told me. "What Tamaki described is an allegory." Here, Kyoya pointed to the fourth word – the one I hadn't known. "An allegory is where someone uses a symbolical narrative or story to help the reader understand the literal meaning underneath the symbolical one."

"This already makes a lot more sense," I sighed in relief. "I understand the roots of most words, but since I learned them in the United States, it's rather difficult to break them down in Japanese, especially when I'm reading kanji." I was surprised that I admitted that so easily, and when I didn't hear anything from Kyoya or Tamaki, I looked up.

Kyoya was studying me, his face void of emotion, and Tamaki was frowning. I opened my mouth to say something to them when Kyoya spoke, "Tamaki should be able to help you with reading kanji and interpreting the differences. He came here from France a couple years ago and has a very good grasp on it – surprisingly well, considering every other nonsensical information he spouts." Though Kyoya didn't show it, there was a slight touch of amusement to his tone, something I could detect from years of singing. I heard Tamaki start to complain, but Kyoya ignored him. "Syntax is the pattern in which sentences and phrases are presented. This is commonly mistaken for diction, so I would suggest keeping away from using syntax as your technique unless it's poetry analysis." He paused, observing me to see if I had understood.

"That's good to know. And I do know what diction is, so don't worry about explaining that," I told him, smiling.

Kyoya simply nodded before he moved onto the last word. "And synecdo_che,_" – Kyoya emphasized the last syllable, saying "kee" instead of "ch" like Tamaki had earlier – "is when a word or phrase expresses more or less than it literally means. For example, when people say 'steel' for a 'sword,' or when people exaggerate by saying 'the whole world hates him' when they really mean only that part of the world hates him."

"Oh! Like how people used to refer to the Soviet Union as Russia since it was the biggest part of the Soviet Union?" I inquired, cocking my head.

Kyoya actually looked shocked for a total of two seconds before he nodded. "Yes. Like that."

I grinned and nodded. "Thank you very much, Ootori-san. This has been very helpful. So we will try to discuss the actual meaning of prose analysis tomorrow?" Kyoya made a noise in agreement before he moved back to his seat.

I glanced at Tamaki to see him grinning at me. "What?"

"You surprised him," Tamaki answered, not caring to elaborate as he moved back to his own seat. I would have asked him to explain what was so great about that, but that was when our next teacher came in and told everyone to be seated.

Frowning, I glanced over at Kyoya in curiosity. What was so amazing about me knowing that?

And why was it such a big deal that I had surprised him, anyway?

* * *

><p>"Kiko-chan!" The exclamation caused me to turn around in the cafeteria, which caused Tamaki to stop walking as well (while Kyoya just headed off to his table).<p>

"Princess?" the blonde questioned, but I didn't answer him as I looked around for the voice of the male who had called out for me. It wasn't Hiroshi's voice, but I knew it very distinctly. I just couldn't place i-

I yelped as I was suddenly pulled back into someone, his arms circling my waist. I knew who it was instantly, and I didn't turn around because I was too busy trying to make sure I didn't drop my lunch. "T-Tamotsu, let go of me!"

I was released almost immediately, and a pouting face appeared in front of mine. "But Kiko-chan..."

"We missed you." The second voice was a female's, and it came from my left.

"I missed you guys, too, but I didn't need you to pull me into you, Momo," I directed at the boy before I looked at the girl. "And I didn't need you to breathe all over my ear, Mimi."

It was then that I heard Tamaki speak, "Who are these two, princess?"

I suddenly had a headache, and I sighed heavily before I explained. "These two are my friends Tamotsu and Emiko from when I was younger. They're brother and sister, one year apart." I looked at the boy and girl, who looked different mostly because of the lengths of their hair. Emiko had waist-length, blonde hair while her brother Tamotsu had short blonde hair; both had hazel eyes. The only other difference was around their eyes and the formations of their chins – Emiko had her father's eyes and chin while Tamotsu had his mother's eyes and chin. "We nicknamed them Momo and Mimi because they liked how there was only a slight difference in their names then."

It was then that Emiko seemed to have an epiphany, for she snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "Oh, I know you! You're Suoh Tamaki," – Tamaki beamed in delight – "that guy who runs that Host Club that leads on girls or makes them go crazy over the homosexual tendencies between some of the hosts." Tamaki suddenly deflated, and I almost felt bad for him, though I had to admit it did sound rather racey, especially for a private school in Japan.

"Host Club?" I questioned, cocking my head at my two friends. I suddenly remembered that was the wrong thing to do with those two around, for they suddenly squealed about how cute I looked and hugged me at the same time. "Guys, get off me." They didn't (of course) and simply continued to coo over me while Tamaki stayed in his depressed state.

"Momo, Mimi, let go of Tsuki." Hiroshi came to my rescue just in time, and I turned around to smile warmly at him. "I see you've made a friend already, eh? Tamaki's not as bad as Mimi tries to make him sound. The Host Club is actually comprised of some nice guys, though many of the guys here hate it since the girls all fawn over them." Hiroshi grinned at me. "You should check it out tomorrow after school. Who knows, maybe you'll become a regular."

I blinked and cocked my head at Hiroshi's words. It sounded like there was a hidden meaning behind them, but I wasn't given a chance to think about it because the tray I was carrying was suddenly taken from me, and I was dragged away by Emiko and Tamotsu to their usual table with Hiroshi trailing behind us, Tamaki completely forgotten in his "depressed" state.

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> I'm not going to lie - this was the hardest part (aside from the title) for me in this whole chapter. I needed a song, and the first one I had here was "Field of Innocence" by Evanescence; it seemed to be too mature for her (at least for the moment) and thus I spent hours looking for a replacement. This is what occurred, mainly because I thought it would be a humorous way to get back at her friend. And if you guys are wondering, there will _not _be anything romantic between her and Hiroshi. Just heading that off before I get questions. All the OC's introduced already have pre-destined boyfriends/girlfriends, and Tsukiko is not going to be involved with anyone who is not a host. 'Nuff said. d;

**(2) **The infamous smirk. I would totally count these if I were Tsuki, but since I'm not - she's only going to notice the first one. But I felt Kyoya would smirk there, considering he's already found something to make the new girl tick, which means he can add it to his little notebook.

Now, there's a scene during their break where Kyoya offers to help Tsuki with her schoolwork - I figured this would be okay considering it is her first day, and it will reflect on him if the teachers asked him to help her if she needed it. Therefore, he's going to explain some stuff to Tsuki very rarely (mainly just on poetry and prose) until she can learn the Japanese language better. After all, she did spend seven years in America for the more in-depth vocabulary, so Japanese isn't really her strongest point.

Thus ends the first chapter! You won't see anything of these boys again until the third chapter, which is where the Host Club _should_ come in. If they don't, you can surely count on them being in the fourth one. After all, there are two very important people for her to meet. :)

So - review if you want (criticism is always welcome) and keep an eye out for the second chapter! Thank you for reading!

**~DM **;)


	2. You Raise Me Up

__Disclaimer: If I owned OHSHC, there would have been just a few more girls in it; just sayin'.__

Hello, again! c: I know it has been quite some time since I first posted this, and I'm not going to give you any excuses. I'm going to tell it to you straight: I had 98% of this written back in February, and then I just didn't feel like messing with it until I finished my spring semester of college. So, yeah, you waited nearly four months for me to write all of twenty-three sentences in fifteen minutes. But hey, at least it's here, and I'm out for summer. Now you lot need to hope I don't get lazy again (which is a possibility but not very probable).

There is one more thing I want to tell you, though. The Host Club is not in this chapter (as I said before). But fret not; you get to learn a bit about Tsuki. Enjoy! C:

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter ii<strong>_

"How can you read these things?" Emiko questioned, and I imagined her nose scrunching up to match the tone in her voice that was obviously disgust.

I blinked, turning around to look at her, and asked, "Read what th—hey! Put that back!" I felt my face heat up, and I was sure my face was dark enough for people to notice it in the town over.

Emiko giggled, immediately dropping the book so that she could hug me. "You're so cute, Kiko-chan!" she squealed, and I pushed her off of me, dashed to the book she had dropped, and put it back in the box she had gotten it out of. "I seriously can't believe you read those, though. I always took you to be the innocent one of our group."

This caused me to snort since I definitely was the most innocent one in our group, but I was hardly as innocent as she wanted to believe. "Don't worry, Mimi – I'm still a virgin, if that's what you're fretting over," I retorted.

Emiko blinked at me, surprised. "Is that why you read those books?"

"What – no! I just like the plotlines, all right? Jeez. Stop making it sound so horrible. So I like romance novels; it's not that uncommon in America for teenagers to read them **(1)**. Besides, my mom was the one who gave them to me," I sighed, picking up the box of books and moving it aside. "Now, can we please get off this subject? You're making it sound like I read those scientific books about how to...well, you know." I couldn't even think about it without blushing, mainly because anything sexual was still an awkward topic for me, especially when talking to Emiko.

"Aww. And here I thought you were going to say it," Emiko pouted, causing me to roll my eyes. She suddenly became serious, though, as she came to stand in front of me. "But your book selection aside, I'm worried about you staying here, Tsukiko." I cocked my head in question, considering she very rarely used my full first name. "Not only is it on the opposite end of town, but you're here because your father asked you to come home. Don't you think that means he wants you to stay with him at his house?"

I smiled sadly, pushing my brown locks back from my face. "Actually... I know he does. But my mom paid for this place, and I'm not going to reject her offer. Besides, you know I wouldn't be comfortable there. I haven't even been allowed to see the man for seven years; I know we've talked on the phone, but it's not the same thing." I paused, trying to remember the other problem she had voiced. "And what does being on the opposite end of town have to do with anything? I know I'm not in the mansion area where my father lives, but it's not like I have a lack of space here. This place is big enough for me to have you guys over, easily."

"I'm not that shallow!" Emiko exclaimed, sighing heavily. "I was talking about how far you would be walking to get home. None of us live this way, so if we weren't going to come over, you wouldn't let us take you home – and you're a teenage girl. You don't need to walk home alone; something could happen to you."

I couldn't help but smile. If no one else, I could always count on Emiko to voice her opinions on my safety – even if her worry was totally unneeded. "Might I remind you of my karate lessons, Mimi? I didn't stop taking them when I moved to America, though I will say their pace was a bit too slow for my liking. I'm going to be so far behind when I go to class. I bet my friends would be able to teach my class; that's how bad it was."

This made Emiko laugh and shake her head. "The Americans can't help that they underestimated you, Kiko-chan. You _are _only roughly 152 centimeters tall, after all."

"Hey, I'm five-one-and-a-half, thank you!" I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest. I saw Emiko frown and furrow her brows as she tried to convert my height to the metric system, and I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Sorry, Mimi. I forget not everyone can do the calculations like that. It's roughly 156 centimeters."

Emiko shrugged it off and grinned as she teased, "Please excuse my horrible action of depleting your height by four centimeters, princess."

"Ugh, don't call me that. I already have to deal with Suoh-kun saying it; I don't need you to do it, too," I groaned, massaging my temple.

"Yes, I noticed him calling you that," Emiko replied, sounding thoughtful even though I knew she didn't like it - especially since her tone of voice gave it away.

"Don't be angry about it. He doesn't know my name. I realized that at the end of the day," I told her, smiling. "Besides, he's just doing it because I'm the new girl, and he wants to see if he can spark a reaction out of me by treating me like those other girls. He'll get tired of it eventually."

"Wait, did you just say he doesn't know your name? How can he not?" Emiko queried, quirking a brow.

"I just don't think it's occurred to him that I'm the famous singer everyone's talking about, and no one's said my name in proximity to him. At least, not when he was listening," I murmured, smiling wryly as I thought about the state we had left Tamaki in at lunch.

"So...you're telling me that you let an idiot – who is the president of the school's Host Club – call you 'princess' because he couldn't figure out who you were and therefore didn't know your name...?" Emiko asked incredulously.

"Yes, that about sums it up," I agreed, nodding. "Besides, it's harmless. He calls every girl 'princess' at some point."

Emiko frowned, cocking her head as she studied me. "I don't know, Kiko-chan. You may want to be careful. Tamaki could easily fall for you."

I snorted, rolling my eyes as I headed for the door of my room. "You're just biased, Emiko. And cut the jealousy, please; I've already 'friend-zoned' him. Granted, I didn't say it directly to his face, but I figured I could save that for a later date."

"We both know that just because you 'friend-zoned' him that it doesn't mean he doesn't have a possibility of getting out of it. If I remember correctly, that's what you said about—"

"That was different!" I cut her off, feeling heat creep up my neck and into my face as I left my room and headed toward the living area of my penthouse.

Emiko followed easily, closing the door to my room after she left. "Different or not, it still happened, and it could happen again. The only people you can really 'friend-zone,' Kiko-chan, are me and Tamotsu. You can do it to me because, well, I'm a girl, and I know you won't ever like me in that way. And you can do it to Tamotsu because he likes boys, even though he thinks he likes you – which I never understood. Did you?"

"At first, I thought it was just because you liked me and he wanted you two to be even more alike than you already were, if I'm being honest. But then I realized it wasn't that. I actually have a theory about it right now, but I'm not letting you in on it because you'll go and ruin it." I looked over my shoulder as I spoke, giving her a look when she tried to protest so that she could get her way and find out.

Sighing, Emiko dropped that particular subject but continued with the one she'd started out with, "Anyway, what I was saying is that if the whole thing with T—"

"That was different!" I repeated, knowing I was blushing yet again.

"What was different?" Hiroshi asked as Emiko and I entered the living room. I groaned and fell onto the couch, covering my blood-red face with a pillow. "What'd you do _now_, Mimi? You better not have molested her again."

"Hardly. She won't let me close enough to do anything like that. I can barely hug her without being pushed away. I don't like how much America changed her," Emiko whined, and I heard Hiroshi and Tamotsu chuckle.

"Maybe it's because you're approaching it the wrong way. She has no problem with letting me hug her or anything," Hiroshi gloated, and I felt my head being picked up before being set back down onto a lap. I knew it was Hiroshi, and it really didn't bother me since Hiroshi was the one out of the three that I was closest to. Granted, he was the only one who had come to visit me in America – which I will admit had a lot to do with why I let him treat me like normal. I hadn't really heard from Emiko and Tamotsu while I was gone, and it kind of annoyed me that they would act like there hadn't been seven years' absence.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to boast about it," Tamotsu muttered.

I moved the pillow covering my face down to my stomach, cradling it there like it would protect me somehow. I suddenly didn't feel like putting up with Tamotsu and Emiko; their antics were a lot to deal with when they had been absent from my life for so long. "Momo, Mimi, don't take this the wrong way, but I think I've had all I can take for one day. You seem to have forgotten that I know every slight nuance to your voices, and I seriously don't like hearing the jealousy or the animosity towards Hiroshi that you two have been exhibiting since lunch. And Emiko, I don't want to hear your jealousy about whatever Suoh-kun might call me." I sat up to look at the two siblings, my voice level, even though I was angry and hurt all in one package. "I haven't seen or heard from you two for seven years – and don't say you guys called me because once every year doesn't count when Hiroshi called me once a day and visited me throughout the year, and don't say I never tried to get in touch with you guys because I wrote letters and sent emails and even tried to come visit during one of my tours! So you don't deserve to be jealous over anyone. And before I have to hear you guys get jealous about someone else for some stupid reason, I just want you to go home."

Though both Emiko and Tamotsu looked like they wanted to say something, they must have remembered that it wouldn't have mattered what they said or promised me, I would have just kept telling them to go home. Thus, the two left (albeit grudgingly) with a glance at Hiroshi as I laid back down, letting my head rest in his lap again. After the door closed, I sighed and closed my eyes. I didn't enjoy telling my friends stuff like that, but it would have come out at some point, and I was never one for pushing those thoughts away. That was one thing that people either liked or hated about me – if I wanted someone to know something, I didn't beat around the bush; I simply told them. Especially if it was someone I was interested in romantically – I just came right out and said it rather than dancing around the whole ordeal to try and figure out if the other person liked me or not. The way I saw it was that it was easier to get it off my chest and deal with the repercussions than to worry about it for months and then be crushed when the person I liked moved onto someone else without me ever telling them how I felt. But that was neither here nor there at that moment.

"Shi-bear?" I murmured, not opening my eyes.

"Hm?" my friend hummed, brushing his fingers through my hair.

"Was I too harsh?" I opened my eyes to see his expression.

Hiroshi smiled, continuing to play with my hair. I felt him braiding a part of it loosely as he thought about how he wanted to word his answer to me. "I wouldn't say that, though if you had addressed the situation earlier like I had told you, you wouldn't be feeling bad for how you snapped at them and then ordered them to go home."

"I didn't know they were going to act like nothing had changed in the past seven years," I murmured, closing my eyes against the pain. "And I didn't know it was going to bother me this much."

"Of course it was going to upset you, Tsuki. We were all close, and you became so closed up that last year you were with us – when your parents had that custody battle over you. I think you ended up only hanging out with five **(2)** of us by the time it was said and done with." Hiroshi's voice was soft, and I knew he was upset about everything that had happened since my parents first told me they were divorcing; that was the domino effect for everything else, after all. I didn't even create close bonds with people in America – but it was hard to make friends since I ended up becoming a singer and did tours while learning from private tutors – and Hiroshi knew about all of it. He was the only friend I'd had throughout everything, and for that I was grateful. I don't know if I could have made it this far without someone like him.

"All right, get up. We're getting out of this place and going out somewhere until you have to go eat dinner with your dad," Hiroshi suddenly stated, brushing my hair with his fingers to get rid of the braid. I sat up and blinked over at him in confusion. "Don't look at me like that; we're going because if we don't get out of here, we'll end up crying, and then we'll be mad at ourselves for crying over something that was in the past and that we can't change. Therefore, we're going to go out and do something. Oh, I know!" Hiroshi grinned, snapping his fingers. "We can go to our favorite bakery and eat too many sweets and ruin your appetite."

I didn't even get the chance to protest before Hiroshi had grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my penthouse and into the elevator. He didn't release my hand, and I knew it was more for his sake than mine. That was why I squeezed his hand lightly, smiling softly at him when he looked at me curiously before smiling back and starting to swing our clasped hands. "You wanna take a picture and send it to Momo and Mimi?" he suggested, wagging his brows at me.

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're so mean sometimes, Shi-bear," I reprimanded lightly, but even so I was pulling my cell phone out of my pocket.

* * *

><p>"Oh, man, that definitely hit the spot," Hiroshi sighed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes as he rubbed his stomach.<p>

I giggled, forking another bite of my chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. "Looks to me like it may have hit the spot a bit too hard," I spoke after I swallowed, picking up my cup and taking a sip of the peppermint hot chocolate.

Hiroshi opened one eye to look at me, groaning as he noticed I was still eating. "How do you manage it? It's unnatural for a girl of your stature to eat so much, and yet you're not fazed by it at all," the black-haired boy muttered, dropping his head back against the booth.

I shrugged, continuing to eat my piece of cake. "What can I say – I have very high metabolism. Actually, I probably don't eat as often throughout the day as I should," I mused aloud, tapping my fork against my lips as I thought it over.

"What do you mean you don't eat as often as you should?" Hiroshi queried, picking his head up to look at me as if I'd grown an extra head.

"My doctor told me I needed to eat more throughout the day to make my intake match the rate of metabolism because I'm losing some substances that are necessary for proper health," I answered, forking off another bite of my cake.

"So your metabolism is too fast?" Hiroshi asked, trying to make sense of my words.

I paused for a moment before replying, "Before I continue this explanation, do you even know what I mean by metabolism? Because most people do not."

Hiroshi frowned. "I'm not sure. I always thought it was part of the digestive system."

I laughed and took another bite of my cake as I thought of how best to explain it. "All right, metabolism would be part of the digestive system, I suppose, but it's not an organ or anything like most people try to make it out to be. If you didn't notice earlier, I simply said I 'have very high metabolism,' not '_a _very high metabolism.' There is a stark difference. In lay-man's terms, metabolism is when your body's physical and chemical reactions are performed to produce specific substances that are necessary for survival. Therefore, when someone says he or she has high metabolism, that really means the reactions that take place in his or her body are processing a lot more quickly than the food or energy can be put into the body. It's the exact opposite for someone with low metabolism."

"That makes so much more sense now. I've always wondered why I didn't understand how such an important organ could be left out of those diagrams of the digestive system," Hiroshi muttered, admitting something aloud that most people wouldn't admit to themselves in their own minds.

I sighed, feeling an urge to let my head slam against the table in front of me. As it were, my head did slump down quite a bit. "Shi-bear, you really shouldn't admit stuff like that to other people. Even if it doesn't embarrass you, other people are embarrassed for you."

Hiroshi blinked at me. "What do you mean?"

"Mah, forget it," I answered, waving my fork in the air dismissively before I finished off my piece of cake. I looked up at Hiroshi as I drank some more of my peppermint hot chocolate and sighed. "You know, it's sad, but I could still eat dinner with my dad and not feel sick in the slightest."

"Ugh, don't talk about food," Hiroshi groaned, rubbing his face. "I don't think I could eat anything else for days."

"You wanna challenge that statement?" I inquired, and he gave me a look I knew all too well. I snickered, and he reached up to turn my face away from him.

"Brat," he muttered affectionately, and I grinned at him as we let silence fall over us.

I broke it first. "Shi-bear?"

"Mm?"

I sighed, knowing it was time for me to go. "I have to be at the mansion in about fifteen minutes." Hiroshi opened his eyes to look at me. "Will you drop me off?"

A knowing yet soft smile formed on Hiroshi's face, and he stood up so that he could bow. "Of course, m'lady; after you."

I rolled my eyes and pushed past him with a snort before looking back at him over my shoulder with a warm smile. "Dork."

* * *

><p>I took in a deep breath before letting it out, but I didn't move from the spot I was standing in. This was going to be the first time I had been in the same room with my father in seven years, and as odd as it sounds, I was a nervous wreck. I didn't know what he would think of me and what I was wearing, and I didn't know if he would approve of my being a singer. Though I <em>had<em> spoken to my father in the last seven years, it was rather generically – we exchanged greetings and then awkwardly spoke about how we felt about how our days had gone or were going before we both made our excuses to stop talking with one another, whether it be his work (which was almost always a reality) or my studying (which was almost always a lie). And then we had spoken on birthdays and other holidays when opening gifts so we could thank each other or request a different size or color of a particular item – that kind of thing.

But none of that really told me anything about my father or how well we would get along, considering when he was on the phone, he only heard what I said and knew nothing else about me or my thoughts and vice versa. And it was because of that, that I was caught staring at the door, standing in the same place I had been when I waved to Hiroshi as he left. That had been about five or ten minutes prior to a brunette man opening the door.

I startled him – that much was apparent when he looked at me in surprise, so that told me the man had been leaving the place and not just opening the door. Judging by the clothing he wore, it wasn't someone who worked for my father – the material was too nice and was tailored. The man also had a calculating look in his brown eyes as he stared at me, and of course the fact that he had shown his surprise in the first place gave away that he was not a servant, either **(3)**.

I relaxed and smiled politely at him before bowing my head to him – even though he was a superior, I felt that bowing at the waist would be awkward since I was a "young girl" and the customs here were a stark contrast to America's, where everyone just shook hands. "Good evening, sir. I apologize for startling you," I told him sincerely.

The man inclined his head, and I saw the brief sneer on his face as he looked me over once more. "Do you know who I am?" His tone held anger, and I frowned as I tried to figure out what would cause such a response.

"I am sorry, sir, but I do not. I just returned home from being in the United States and am here to see my father," I answered softly, trying to gauge his response. However, the man had no chance to reply because another man appeared in the doorway, this one roughly the same age but with black hair and deep blue eyes.

"Ah, Miss Tsukiko, Master Miyamoto Shirou has been wondering where you were. Please, do come in," he spoke directly to me, ignoring the other man's presence for the time being.

I glanced at the angry brunette and decided to curtsy this time since it seemed like the safest thing to do and get away with. "It was a pleasure to meet you, sir," I lied easily, figuring I could tell him what I really thought of him at a later date. If he was one of my father's clients – prospective or not – it would not be good for me to ruin it for him. I then quickly slipped into the mansion's foyer so that the black-haired man could close it. "I don't like that man," I confided to the man after the door had closed.

I could tell that the black-haired man was trying not to smile about the statement and was surprised when he suddenly bowed. "Tanaka Nobuyuki at your service, Miss Tsukiko. I am your father's butler, assistant, and bodyguard."

"Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm in an episode of _Kuroshitsuji_," I mused aloud, grinning. "I don't guess you happen to be a demon who has a contract to fulfill with my father, are you?"

Nobuyuki looked at me for a moment before he chuckled. "I am afraid not, Miss Tsukiko. I am simply one hell of a butler**(4)**."

I gasped, and I swear I could have hugged that man. "I take it that means you're married."

"Yes, Miss Tsukiko, I am married with two teenage girls who happen to love your music and enjoy that show," Nobuyuki answered, smiling warmly.

"I simply must meet these lucky women, but I guess we can discuss when at a later date. I'm sure my father must be getting anxious by now, if not irritated, with how much time has passed since I was supposed to be here," I sighed, fighting the urge to play with a lock of my hair.

"If anything, Mister Shirou is as nervous about this dinner as you are, Miss Tsukiko," Nobuyuki corrected, starting to lead the way to the dining hall.

"Tanaka, if it is all right, I prefer Tsuki," I told Nobuyuki as I followed him. I was almost positive that if I tried to say his first name, I would butcher it; as it was I managed to mess up his last name as well, mainly because it made me think of the old human butler's name on _Kuroshitsuji_. If it bothered Nobuyuki, though, he said nothing about it.

"Of course, Miss Tsuki." After a short moment, Nobuyuki turned and knocked on a door before he opened it and announced, "Nakamura Tsukiko, Mister Shirou." I saw him bow low before I took in a deep breath and walked past him to set eyes on my flesh-and-blood father for the first time in seven years.

To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting when I walked into that room, but I wound up extremely surprised. The moment my gaze landed on the face of the red-haired man with the green eyes, I found my composure slipping. And then my father smiled warmly but sadly at me, the emotions reaching his eyes, and I let my composure slip between my fingers.

I ran to him and flung my arms around him, burying my face into his shoulder as I felt the tears well up in my eyes and start to fall. "I missed you so much, Daddy," I whispered as he hugged me tightly, his familiar smell of aftershave hitting my nose as he rested his chin on the top of my head.

"I missed you, too, Sook," my father answered, his voice breaking slightly. Even if it hadn't, I still would have been able to place the sound in his voice as tears. I picked my head up to look at him, sniffling slightly and taking a step back from him so that I could wipe away my tears with my hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this," I murmured, feeling embarrassed. Granted, it was probably a given that I was going to cry when I saw him again, but I hadn't known I would do it immediately – and I hadn't expected anyone to be with me when I cried. I seriously hated crying, probably to a point that it was considered weird or abnormal, and I only hated it more when others were there to witness it. But if I were being honest with myself, I felt a lot better and the fact that my father was crying as well made it a bit easier to bear, since I knew he hated being emotional in front of others, considering I received most of those "stiff upper lip" talks from him when I was younger.

My father chuckled. "Great way to start our reunion dinner, is it not? Two people who hate crying in front of others are crying in front of each other." I found myself laughing softly and nodding to show I agreed with him. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "You have grown up into a beautiful young woman, Tsukiko. I know you sent pictures, but they do not give you your full due."

I detected the note of pride in his voice, and I almost started crying again—though this time in pure relief. "I am glad to hear you say that, Dad. I half expected you to be disappointed in how America had altered me or something." I had always been quite radically honest with my father, and the lapse in time had done nothing to change that.

He laughed heartily, shaking his head. "Tsuki, I could not begin to think of any way you could truly disappoint me." He studied me momentarily before adding, "But that sounds like you believe someone else thought such a thing."

"It was just something Emiko had said, but that's not important right now. Hiroshi took me to our favorite bakery in order to make me not hungry, but it seems that I am still quite famished," I answered, laughing softly.

My father smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling. "At least that is one thing I know I can always count on: your endless pit that people unknowingly believe is a stomach."

I scowled lightly at him, earning another warm laugh. It felt nice to actually _be_ here with my father; conversation seemed to come a lot easier when in his presence than when on the phone.

And with that worry settled, I could safely say that it was great to be back in Japan, the one place that would always be my true home.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) <strong>If any Americans are offended by this, I apologize, but where I live, this is seriously very common, and with some discussions I have had with others via the internet, it just seemed like it was too much of a coincidence. Again, this is not meant to offend anyone, considering I've been reading them for years.

**(2) **Yes, five people. You'll find out what I meant in the next chapter.

**(3) **This man is no one right now. I'm not sure who he's going to be, but more than likely he's an OC. He will make an appearance at least one more time, but I'm unsure of his role right now. Just thought you should know.

**(4) **For those of you unfamiliar with _Kuroshitsuji_ or, in English, _Black Butler, _this is a phrase that is _typically_ said at least once per episode by Sebastian Michaelis, the demonic butler.

And that wraps up the second chapter! c: I hope you enjoyed it, even though Tsuki seems to be angsty right now. She'll get better; she just needs to readjust. I would love to have some feedback, even if it's only criticism.

Thank you for reading! The third chapter will, hopefully, be out soon! C:

**~DM **;)


	3. Rockstar

_Disclaimer: If I owned OHSHC, then my name would be Bisco Hatori. I can certainly assure you _that_ is not my name._

'Ello, 'ello! :D No, m'dears, your eyes are not deceiving you; this is _actually_ another update! And you can all thank **Michie Kiyomi** for this quick of an update! She was the first person to review my story, and I was so excited to have a review that I worked on this for _hours_ the past two days. Now, just imagine; if I could get more reviews, I might just have a chapter out every couple of days. Haha; just saying~

Anyway, now that the shout-out to Michie (btw, I officially love you forever for being my first reviewer _ever_) is over with, I can get onto the important stuff! First, I need to know if you guys would like to know who, exactly, this story is supposed to lead up to Tsukiko being with (even though I would think you can guess). Second, I want to warn you that this story will likely have a sequel because of the way it's going to end, so if you're looking for a quick thing, you won't be getting it here. Third, good news! The Host Club is most certainly in this one, and will definitely be in the next one. c:

Oh, and I realized I had a few things I needed to fix, which I will address in my numbers at the bottom of the chapter to clear up some things, but I am also going to address them here. Haruhi is _not_ part of the Host Club yet, and I did this on purpose. You will see why in this chapter. Considering she is not part of the Host Club, and considering it's springtime (again, I have my reasons) this means that Kyoya and Tamaki are in their first year of high school, the twins are in middle school (they aren't in this one, so it will be addressed in the next chapter), and Mitsukuni and Takashi are second years. Therefore, I have changed Tsuki's classroom to 1A in this chapter, and I will go back at a later point in time to change it in the first chapter. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Now, after that rather dreadfully drawn out A/N, you can read the chapter. C: Enjoy!

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter iii<br>**_

I smiled to myself as I walked into the school's courtyard, heading to the copse of trees where I knew my three friends would be waiting. It was a beautiful spring day, the cherry blossoms giving the schoolyard a rather romantic feel (which, I will admit, was quite odd). The sun was shining brightly, adding some pleasant heat to the rather cool morning. I figured it wouldn't be much longer until I could change into the school uniform meant for warmer weather, but for now, I was still thankful for the long sleeves on the yellow dress.

Granted, thinking about school uniforms made me remember that I wouldn't have even been wearing this dress if I were still in America. That was one thing I sincerely missed: blue jeans, flip flops/sneakers, and a tee shirt. Those clothes were a lot less confining and a lot less heavy, and it made people easier to pick out in a crowd since students typically had their own style; not to mention, if we knew what one person had worn to school that morning, it was easy to identify them by those clothes. Here, I knew I would never have such luck in finding one girl amongst the sea of yellow dresses.

Shaking my head to bring myself out of my reverie, I realized I was quite close to our morning meeting place. "Good morning, Kiko-chan!" Emiko chirped as I walked into their view a mere moment later, and I smiled at her. Things were slowly getting better between Emiko, Tamotsu, and me; granted, that was to be expected since I was now starting my second week of school. It felt odd that I had already been in Japan for a week, but I had been busy, so the time had passed by very quickly.

"Good morning, Mimi," I greeted before looking at the two boys. "And good morning to you two."

Tamotsu simply smiled warmly and returned the greeting as well, but Hiroshi grinned at me and sang, "Good morning, Tsuki~"

The chipper tone he had let me know something was up. "Hiroshi, whatever you're up to, you better tell me right now."

"You couldn't possibly have forgotten, Kiki," Hiroshi admonished with mock incredulity. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he chuckled. "The three of us have the pleasure of taking you to the Host Club this afternoon, remember?"

I groaned, rubbing my hand down my face; I _had_ forgotten that I promised them they could take me this afternoon. I had only gotten out of it the last week because I had too much to do, but now that I was settled into my penthouse and my father was busy this evening, I didn't have an excuse. "Oh. Yeah..."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic," Emiko teased, grinning. "It won't be as bad as you think."

I stared at them all blankly. "Easy for you to say. I have to put up with Suoh-kun's antics all day; now I get to put up with him this afternoon as well."

Emiko's brows rose as she and Tamotsu shared a glance. "Do you want us to do something about it?" Tamotsu queried, and I immediately shook my head.

"No, actually, that is the last thing I want. I don't need him to be giving me that stupid 'wounded puppy' look. It will end up making things worse," I told them, neglecting to add that it would give Kyoya a reason to dislike me since Tamaki's bad mood would affect him as well.

Hiroshi chuckled, giving me a knowing look, and he opened his mouth to say something when the school bell rang. "Well, my friends, I believe that is our cue to get up and get to class."

We actually made the walk in silence, three of us waving to Tamotsu as we reached the stairs, considering we stayed on the first floor and he continued to the second floor. My classroom was the first one, on the left, and I smiled at the other two as they came to a stop in front of it. "I'll see you guys at lunch," I told them with a smile and a wave, walking into classroom 1A**(1)** without even waiting for them to acknowledge they had heard me.

I was lucky to have set my stuff down before Tamaki attacked. I yelped as I was turned around and pulled into a hug before being twirled around, my feet coming off the ground as Tamaki sang, "Good morning, my beautiful princess~"

"S-Suoh-kun, put me down!" I exclaimed, my eyes closed and my fingers clutching his blazer out of instinctual fear of the (highly improbable) possibility of being thrown into something on accident.

Tamaki, however, did not seem to notice, for he simply laughed and said, "You forgot to say the secret word, princess!" Thus, I was still being twirled around, my anxiety spiking. I honestly could not bring myself to speak just yet, though I knew all Tamaki wanted was for me to say "please."

"Tamaki, put her down; she's upset," Kyoya snapped, and I felt hope flutter in my chest, mingling with a slight spark of relief.

The twirling slowed to a complete stop, and my feet were set on the ground. I took in a shuddering breath, hating the feel of tears that had beaded underneath my eyelids. I was okay with one twirl, and I was okay with being twirled around if my feet were on the ground, but when I was younger I had gotten hurt by being twirled around. One of my friend's brothers had accidentally lost his grip on me, and I had flown into the glass table a few feet away and ended up in the hospital overnight. That fear had never entirely left me, apparently.

That was when I realized Tamaki was ranting in French, and I could hear he was deeply concerned and apologetic. I also realized I still had a death grip on his blazer, and thus I released the lapels of his blazer and opened my eyes, trying to straighten the slight wrinkles I had left. I wasn't in danger of him realizing how close I had been to crying, and I tilted my head back to smile at him. "It's all right, Tamaki. You didn't know, and it's not your fault. 'Kay~?" I chirped, tilting my head as I smiled brightly at him.

"Y-yes," Tamaki stammered, and I blinked in surprise. He took a step back from me, a hand going to cover his mouth, and I noticed then that he was blushing and his eyes were wide. He sounded like he was saying something, but I couldn't hear it, whatever it was, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know with the look he was giving me. **(2)****  
><strong>

Instead of bothering with that, I turned to Kyoya and walked over to him. "Thank you, Ootori-san. I was involved in an accident when I was little that ended up with me in the hospital, and I guess it's just an innate fear I haven't grown out of," I explained, wanting him to know I had a valid reason for freaking out the way I did.

The black-haired boy stopped writing in his notebook to stare at me curiously for a moment before he replied, "You are welcome." He took a moment to observe Tamaki, and I saw a smile start to curve his lips before it abruptly become a smirk as he looked back to me. "I believe you broke my friend, Nakamura-san." I glanced at Tamaki, to see him still in that same stance and muttering under his breath with a blush across his cheeks.

I felt blood rush to my face, and I coughed delicately, to which Kyoya's smirk grew. "Yes, well, I was hoping to avoid that, actually. He's not really my type," I muttered drily.

The smirk dropped from Kyoya's face as he realized I had turned our discussion into a serious one. "I know, and so does Tamaki," he replied, glancing at his friend before his dark gray eyes locked with mine. "However, that does not mean he will act any differently toward you, nor does it mean his little crush on you will go away without some time."

I shook my head with a small smile. "I would not expect any less, Ootori-san. But you should know something." I paused, and my gaze shifted to the dazed Tamaki, even though I was still addressing Kyoya. "I will only avoid discouraging him while it is simply that, a schoolboy crush. If I believe he is starting to develop real feelings for me, I will put a stop to it, and I will expect your support." My gaze returned to his as I spoke my final words on the matter. "I do not want him hurt on my behalf."

Kyoya's guard dropped for a split second, but it was enough for me to recognize the look in them. I turned around and slid into my seat just before the late bell rang, and as Ms. Ishii took role, I found myself smiling. Kyoya Ootori had just felt a flash of respect for me, and it felt quite nice.

* * *

><p>A couple hours later, I found myself tapping my pen against my leg, my teeth worrying my lower lip, while I waited. It was rather nerve-wrecking to sit in utter silence, but it wasn't as though I had much of a choice. My English class was temporarily being conducted in one of the four libraries at Ouran Academy, and there were no free periods at this time of day, so the odds of seeing a student in there would be very low.<p>

Finally, there was the sound of shuffling papers added to the sound of my pen tapping against my leg, and I looked up at my temporary teacher for the verdict. The words that came from his mouth were not what I expected.

"Your lip is bleeding." **(3)**

I blinked and experimentally touched my tongue to my lower lip, automatically wincing at the iron-like taste. Apparently I had broken the skin without even realizing it; that must have shown my agitation quite clearly. Since there wasn't much I could do about the bleeding lip, I curled it into my mouth and applied pressure on the bleeding spot with my tongue, nodding for the male seated across from me to continue.

"That's only going to make it worse."

I scowled and couldn't help myself from snapping, "And who certified you as a doctor?" Almost immediately I regretted my impulsive response because that was undoubtedly one of the most idiotic things I had ever said to anyone. I held my hand up to insure that the boy seated across from me would not say anything so that I could speak. "I know, Ootori-san. That was probably the best moment to exercise control over the filter in my mind, but obviously it did not happen. At least you now have something to amuse yourself with at my expense."

Kyoya, of course, was smirking before I said that, but I swore I heard something that sounded almost like a chuckle after I spoke. Perhaps it was a snicker?

Feeling my face start to heat up in embarrassment, I cleared my throat. "Ootori-san, can we please get back on track? I know that my prose analysis was more than likely lacking, but—"

"On the contrary, I found it to be one of the best I have read out of any of our classmates' analyses. You have a very firm grasp on literature, it would seem, Nakamura-san," Kyoya answered, and at first I was surprised.

Kyoya had not only just complimented me, but he had cut me off, which were two things that I had learned in the past week were quite rare for the boy. But then I realized there had been a note of surprise in his voice, and I found my eyes narrowing at him. "Excuse me, Ootori-san, but what about me—in the five days I have actually been here—led to your obvious surprise?" I inquired, my tone acidic.

Kyoya tilted his head up, causing his glasses to glare over, and I actually had to force myself not to pick up my binder and chuck it at him. I hated when he did that because he only did it when he didn't want anyone to clearly see his expression, and it typically meant he was going to ignore what was said and change the subject or give some vague, half-assed response. I stared at him, my jaw clenched, as I waited for him to either explain or leave the subject alone entirely and return to a discussion about our English class. Finally, he spoke, and once again, I found myself surprised by what he had to say.

"Nakamura-san, I am typically inclined to allow people to believe their misgivings, but considering this is your first one in regards to me, I will correct you. However, do not expect it to happen again." He seemed to be waiting for me to respond, so I simply nodded once for him to continue. "My surprise actually stemmed from the observations that you learn at a quick rate and are rather confident in the academic abilities you possess, yet you were apologizing about your work before I even spoke my opinion." He lowered his chin, allowing me to see his dark gray eyes, as he finished, "You have every right to be confident in your abilities."

I was silent for a moment before I spoke softly. "Thank you, Ootori-san." I then cleared my throat and asked with a sly smile, "So I guess this means we will be joining the class starting tomorrow, ne?" Kyoya didn't respond, but I saw his lips twitch slightly, as though he wanted to smile. "Too bad that all my amazing analytical skills will be for naught when we start the poetry section."

"Hm?"

I looked at Kyoya to see him quirking a brow at me, and I found myself chuckling because this time I knew exactly what he meant. "Songs are not poems, Ootori-san. Songs are typically explicit in their meanings while poems are typically layered and extremely vague in their meanings. I also really despise how most teachers say poems can be interpreted in many different ways, but whenever a student describes what he or she thinks, the teacher will tell the student that he or she is wrong, even if it is a valid idea." I ended up simply making a face by the end of my explanation. "I just really hate interpreting poetry."

The black-haired boy didn't speak for a long moment. "I may be able to provide some assistance, Nakamura-san, but do not expect a miracle."

I found myself cocking my head, analyzing the—what I believed to be—amusement in his voice. Had Kyoya just attempted to make a joke? I knew not to read anything into it, even if he had, considering what my father and others had told me. It was very likely that Kyoya's father had ordered it; my father's company was currently negotiating with several medical companies, the Ootori group one of them. I could easily assume that Kyoya's job was to help his father in making them look like the best candidates; honestly, I couldn't say I was surprised _at all_.

I jolted in shock when I realized the opportunity that was laid before me: I could actually help my father. If Kyoya was supposed to be using me to get my father to sign a business contract with his, why couldn't I use _him_ to figure out if it would be in my father's best interests to sign with Kyoya's father? It would not be very difficult to learn what I needed to about the Ootoris' medical business, and I was sure I could find out the information without being too suspicious or without them even caring. If they were truly the best option, then they wouldn't have anything to hide from me. All I had to do was come up with a plan to spend time with Kyoya outside of school. Granted, before I even attempted to even go to the Ootori Estate, I needed to speak with my father and find out if he would warrant the services I could provide him. It would be one less business group he had to worry about researching.

"Nakamura-san, I will not ask again; are you all right?"

Kyoya's annoyed voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I blinked. I had honestly forgotten he was probably watching me, which meant that I had probably looked very weird to him. "I apologize, Ootori-san; I was simply lost in thought," I answered, smiling sheepishly. Then I found myself cocking my head at him, brows furrowing quizzically. "What did you mean by not asking again?"

Kyoya expelled a quiet breath as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "If you had not answered, I would have placed my hands on your shoulders and shaken you." The expression on my face must have been borderline appalled, for Kyoya smirked and added, "Lightly, of course."

I am still not sure what was so funny about that, but for whatever reason, I broke out into a fit of giggles that transformed into laughter when Kyoya blinked at me; his head tilted slightly as he watched me, and once I finally recovered, I found the scrutiny quite embarrassing. Thankfully, I knew my face was already colored from laughing, so it probably didn't look any different to Kyoya. I smiled and said, "I'm sorry. I wish I knew what I found so humorous about what you just said, but alas, I cannot explain."**  
><strong>

Kyoya didn't seem to care, but he did simply watch me for a moment longer before he started packing my stuff up for me. It didn't take him long, considering all he had to do was slide the sheets of paper into my binder, and then we were both standing and walking back towards the entrance of the library. Kyoya was quiet as I signed us out, and it wasn't until we were walking through the maze of hallways that I mustered the courage to ask him something.

"I hate to be a bother, but I was wondering if you could help tutor me in German." I saw Kyoya look over at me in my periphery, and I felt my cheeks flaming in embarrassment once more. "I asked Suoh-kun, but he understands it less than I do," I explained, finding myself smiling at how I had corrected Tamaki before. "I also asked my dad, but he's going to be too busy in the upcoming weeks, and I really need to learn it now rather than later when it will be too late to get my grade up. If you can't do it, that's fine. I just thought I'd ask someone who enjoys learning it before I moved onto different people."

I risked a glance over at Kyoya, who was looking at me contemplatively. I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "Don't hurt yourself, Ootori-san; you don't have to answer me right away, but I would like to know by this afternoon," I explained, shrugging. I started softly humming a song as we continued walking, swinging my arms back and forth. I had done it every day as we walked back to the classroom, and thus far Kyoya hadn't seemed to mind. I assumed if it bothered him at all, he would say something about it.

Kyoya put his hand on my arm right as we were about to head back into the classroom, and I blinked up at him, my humming stopping abruptly. "I'll do it," he stated simply before he opened the door and motioned for me to walk in.

I smiled and nodded at him in thanks, and I lowered my head slightly as I walked into the room and headed for my desk, which was beside Kyoya's. No one noticed the way my lips curled into a smirk, which was perfectly fine with me since Kyoya didn't need to know what had just happened.

It wasn't necessary for him to know I had just played him. At least, not _yet_.

* * *

><p>I had just gotten back from the cafeteria and was sitting at my desk, my headphones in, while I worked on my lab report for Chemistry class. Granted, it wasn't due until next Monday, but I wanted to get it out of the way since I wouldn't have time to procrastinate on it, considering I already had my weekend booked with an event on Saturday evening and was going to a fair with Hiroshi, Emiko, and Tamotsu on Sunday.<p>

Saturday evening, though, was what I dreaded. For some reason, my father had decided on making my return home into a big deal and planned a party for the upcoming weekend. _It could have been worse_, I mused to myself. _At least he gave me time to settle in; he could have planned it for this past Saturday_. Nonetheless, it was obvious to me that any homework I wanted to do would have to be done as soon as I could get to it.

I was singing along to the song playing on my iPod (under my breath) and working on the analysis questions for my lab report when, suddenly, a shadow fell over me. I looked up, expecting it to be Tamaki or Kyoya, but to my delight—no, seriously—there was a girl standing awkwardly in front of me. I felt a smile blossom on my face as I tugged the headphones out of my ears and paused my iPod. "Well, hello there~" I chirped, feeling rather giddy that _someone_ had finally approached me. "What can I do for you?" I queried, cocking my head.

"Y-you're Nakamura Tsuki, right? The singer?" The girl's brown eyes were hopeful as she nervously played with her brown hair.

I smiled warmly, nodding my head. "I am. And what's your name?"

"M-me?" she squeaked, smiling excitedly. "Shimizu Hana."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shimizu-chan. You know, you are the first person I didn't know who has approached me since I've been here," I told her, which was true in a way. I wasn't sure Tamaki knew who I was, so Hana had been the first one to actually come up to me of her own accord. If nothing else, she was the first girl to approach me. "What can I do for you, Shimizu-chan?" I repeated, hoping my excitement at being approached was at least slightly less noticeable.

Hana started fiddling with her brown locks nervously again, worrying her lower lip between her teeth before speaking her mind. "I was wondering if you would... Well, you see, I'm a huge fan of yours, and I was kind of hoping I could... get an autograph?"

"Of course!" I answered, smiling brightly. I bent down to grab my bag from under my seat and pulled out the book I always carried around for autographs. Each page had a different picture of me faded into the background (something my producers insisted on, even though I thought it was a bit too much). Grabbing my California blue ink pen, I neatly pulled a page out of my book and signed it, adding a personalization to Hana to thank her for actually approaching me. I handed the autographed page to her, smiling sweetly. "There you go, Shimizu-chan."

Hana's eyes were wide as she exclaimed, "Thank you so much!" She then proceeded to rush over to her friends on the other side of the room to show off her autograph.

I expelled a soft sigh and kind of slumped down in my seat at her abrupt departure. I had hoped to have more than just a short conversation with her, but it obviously wasn't meant to be.

"You're _the _Nakamura Tsuki?"

I jolted up, startled, and then promptly fell out of my seat before I could regain my balance. Thankfully, the voice had come from behind me, and when I didn't make contact with the floor but was instead pulled up against a body, I looked up at Tamaki with a scowl. "Jeez, Suoh-kun, did you _have _to yell in my ear like that?" Just thinking about it made me wince, and both my ears were ringing.

Tamaki's face fell, and he started apologizing, to which I held my hand up and placed it over his mouth to get him to stop. "One time is enough, Suoh-kun. And you can let go of me now. People are staring at us enough as it is," I muttered, thankful when he released me. I let my hand drop back to my side before I looked up at him again. "Anyway, yes, I am '_the_ Nakamura Tsuki,' as you put it. Assuming you're referring to the singer, at least."

"Alas, my beautiful princess, I have no words to express how I feel at this moment!" Tamaki exclaimed melodramatically, and I felt my eye twitch.

"Suoh-kun, please, stop calling me your beautiful princess," I sighed in exasperation.

Tamaki's face fell before he looked at me with puppy eyes, "Tsuki-hime?" **(4)**

I closed my eyes and made myself breathe deeply before I opened them and nodded. "I will allow that," I murmured in defeat. I soon found out that was a bad idea.

"Tsuki-hime it is, then!" Tamaki announced joyfully, grabbing my arms so he could twirl me around in a circle.

Though my feet were still on the ground since Tamaki knew better, I couldn't help my reaction as I jerked my arms away from him; the force sent me backwards. I didn't even have the chance to make a noise in surprise or even worry about throwing my hands out behind me to break my fall; I was caught before any reflexive response occurred to me. I looked up into (upside-down) gray eyes that were minutely widened in the surprise that I felt myself. I was smoothly set on my feet, and I turned around to stare at the black-haired boy in a short moment of silence before I made myself speak. "Thank you, Ootori-san."

Kyoya simply nodded in response as he sat down, and I found myself smiling as I turned around to calm down the fretting Tamaki.

* * *

><p>I was actually nervous as Hiroshi, Emiko, Tamotsu, and I made our way to Music Room #3. I didn't know why, but I had a feeling it was about what I would see when I saw this "host club" my friends had been talking about for the past week. None of them had ever been to it, but they had their ideas, and each one had just gotten worse; it had actually gotten to the point where I would put my headphones in because I thought my face would have a permanent blush on it if I didn't stop listening. Needless to say, I was anxious about what we could possibly be walking into. We were in front of the doors to Music Room #3 far too early for my liking, even though clubs had started thirty minutes ago.<p>

"I don't think I can do this, guys," I squeaked; my stomach was tied in knots, something I never even had happen when I went onto a concert stage for the first time.

"Kiko-chan, you've had an hour to prepare yourself for this," Emiko told me exasperatedly. It was true; school had ended an hour ago, and the only reason we were showing up to the doors this late was because I had chosen to take a rather long shower after physical education, just to postpone this moment.

Tamotsu gave his sister a look before reaching over and hugging me. "It's going to be all right. Whatever debauchery is going on in there, we will all be facing together."

"Oddly enough, Momo, that's not very reassuring," I retorted drily.

Hiroshi chuckled and slipped his hand into mine, squeezing it lightly. "Kiki, it's really not bad. I asked some of the girls in my class, and they said it was all actually rather proper, surprisingly." He paused before adding, "Well, aside from the twins' homosexual actions and whatever else the girls choose to interpret as homosexual actions." I found myself smiling slightly, and Hiroshi then reminded me that he had ulterior motives. "Besides, there's something I really want you to see. So! You ready?"

I took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes, I'm ready."

Emiko and Tamotsu stepped forward and opened the doors. Almost immediately I was blinded, and I pulled my hand free of Hiroshi's to shade my eyes. The blinding light receded, and I saw cherry blossoms floating out into the hallway. I took a few steps into the room and spotted Tamaki instantly. The blonde grinned at me, opening his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it.

"The blinding light and the cherry blossoms are a bit much, Suoh-kun, don't you think?" My voice was light, and I smiled at him to show I was simply teasing (even though it was the truth). The room went silent as I spoke, and everyone turned to stare at me.

"Well, this is awkward," Hiroshi muttered, and I chuckled, nodding in agreement.

My eyes caught sight of someone else I knew, and I found I was rather startled. "Ootori-san, _you're_ involved in this, too?"

Tamaki beamed, nodding exuberantly. "Of course he is, Tsuki-hime! Who else would look after our accounts?"

I looked over my shoulder at Hiroshi, quirking a brow. "Please tell me that isn't what you wanted to show me."

"Ts-Tsukiko?"

The voice that called my name had me whipping my head around, and what I saw had tears forming in my eyes. "M-Mitsukuni?" I choked out. The blonde boy's honey-colored eyes widened, and what happened next was something that would always stay imprinted in my memory.

The pink bunny that Mitsukuni was holding was dropped to the floor as the boy darted towards me, crying**(5)**. He tackled me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me, and though I felt my head crack against the ground, I ignored it as I started sobbing, gripping the smaller boy tightly and burying my face in his blonde curls. I inhaled his scent of strawberries as he cried into me happily. "The rumors were true! You did come home!"

"Oh, Mitsukuni, I've missed you so much," I whispered to the boy, my voice thick with tears.

Mitsukuni picked his head up to look at me, and he laughed giddily. "I've missed you, too, Tsuki-chan!" he exclaimed. He wriggled out of my grip and jumped up before he pulled me easily to my feet as well. He then looked over elsewhere and called out, "Takashi, look, she's back!"

The name had me immediately looking where Mitsukuni's gaze was directed, and I felt my heart pound against my chest at the widened black eyes set in the black-haired male's face, his mouth parted slightly in shock as his grip on Mitsukuni's bunny tightened. I didn't even care that there were possibly a hundred people witnessing all of it; I ran the couple hundred feet and jumped at the tall black-haired boy in a few seconds, moving a lot more quickly in the dress than I had thought possible. Takashi caught me easily, cradling me to his chest as my arms wrapped around the back of his neck and I buried my face in the crook of his neck, smelling a scent that was purely Takashi with just a touch of spearmint.

"Takashi," I whispered, feeling his hand come up to lightly caress the back of my head. My grip around his neck tightened as I tried to keep myself from sobbing on him. I actually managed to cry silently, with just my shoulders shaking, and I felt Takashi's grip around me tighten.

"Tsukiko," I heard him whisper back, and I was all too aware of the light kiss to the top of my head; my eyes snapped open and I felt a blush creep up my neck and steal into my face, which I promptly hid in his shoulder. **(6) **My heart was pounding and I noticed I was short of breath. That was when Takashi suddenly released my waist to hook his arm under my knees, and I heard myself squeak and knew my face was likely blood red. I was suddenly laid down softly on a couch, and I started to protest when Takashi gave me a stern look. "Your head cracked on the floor, Tsukiko," he told me, and I realized that he had taken my shortness of breath as a symptom of dizziness. And at that moment I was willing to allow him to believe that. I decided telling him I liked him in a room full of strangers could be quite the awkward encounter, so I bit down on my lower lip to keep quiet as Takashi's hand lightly probed the back of my head.

When he found the tender spot, I hissed, "Son of a—" The last word of my curse was cut off by Takashi's hand over my mouth. I sent him a glare, and his face relaxed into a smile. My heart slammed against my chest, and I averted my gaze, looking down at my stomach at Mitsukuni's pink bunny that Takashi had obviously set there. Takashi stood and walked into some back room, and Mitsukuni ran to my side.

"I'm sorry, Tsuki-chan! I didn't mean to tackle you that hard!" the blonde boy exclaimed, pouting as tears started shining in his eyes, and I found myself smiling at him.

"It's fine, Mitsukuni. It honestly doesn't hurt that badly, but you know how Takashi is; he takes things a bit too seriously," I said with a laugh. Mitsukuni laughed as well, and I held up his bunny. "However, I believe Usa-chan may need an apology and some carrot cake," I told him, winking.

Mitsukuni took his pink bunny from me, but I didn't get to see what he did with him, considering Takashi had come back with a first aid kit and Kyoya had pulled a chair up beside my couch. I made a face at Kyoya since Takashi would have been perfectly capable of checking my head and seeing if I had a concussion, and Kyoya smirked, interpreting my face instantly. "Who certified Mori-senpai as a doctor?" Kyoya queried, and I found myself scowling as I blushed embarrassedly.

"I just _knew_ you would use that for your sick amusement, Ootori-san," I muttered.

"I have no idea to what you are referring, Nakamura-san," Kyoya answered, his voice neutral, though I could hear the slight undercurrent of amusement. He pulled a small flashlight out of the first aid kit Takashi was holding, and he clicked it on, shining it into my right eye after he asked me to concentrate on his finger. He did it for my left eye before he nodded in a satisfied manner. "Her pupils are fully responsive, so there doesn't seem to be any sign of a concussion." He clicked off the flashlight and turned to grab something before he turned back to me. "Here; water and Tylenol. Just to be safe, you shouldn't go to sleep until later tonight, and you may want someone to stay with you. Concussions don't typically have a late onset, but it's always possible."

I found myself chuckling as I accepted the water and the Tylenol. "The not sleeping thing shouldn't be too hard," I muttered, popping the pill in my mouth before drinking it down with water. I didn't give anyone a chance to ask me a question before I sat up entirely, swinging my legs over so that my feet touched the ground. I stood and felt Takashi's hand on my elbow, steadying me even though I didn't need it. I smiled warmly up at him and then turned to address the girls nearby. "I'm terribly sorry for intruding on your time with Mitsukuni and Takashi. I'll have to make it up to you somehow."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Kyoya stated, and I looked at him to see him smiling. However, the smile was not very warm, and I had to force myself not to take a step back from him. "Considering you technically interrupted everyone's time, you have a lot to make up for. I believe having a concert at the end of the quarter should suffice." **(7)**

I raised both my brows at the gray-eyed boy. "Excuse me?"

Kyoya's smile was definitely taunting me now. "I thought a few months was plenty of time to plan, Nakamura-san. However, if that is not possible, you could simply give all the people in this room tickets to one of your concerts for your tour in the summer."

I almost gaped at him; _almost_. Instead, I simply smiled coldly back at him as something clicked in my mind, something I should have recognized almost immediately. This club had to be of some use to Kyoya, and Tamaki had said something about him managing the accounts, which meant there was money in it. And for Kyoya to be managing accounts just for the hell of it was too far-fetched; he had an ulterior reason, and I could easily guess what. "Of course, Ootori-san. I can trust that the Host Club will provide everything I need? I can get you a list by the end of this week."

Kyoya's smile nearly faltered, and I saw the respect flash in his eyes again. He nodded and held his hand out, "Of course."

I smiled brightly, a real smile now, and shook hands with him. "It ought to be a great concert, Ootori-san."

Kyoya didn't say anything for a moment, and when he spoke, it was to Takashi. "Mori-senpai, I can take care of Nakamura-san. Today is one of the days in which I do not have any clients, so she can sit with me until clubs are over."

I frowned. I had hoped I could hang out with Mitsukuni and Takashi; maybe I would have to see how to arrange becoming a client. Takashi released my elbow and nudged me lightly, an indication to go with Kyoya. I looked up at him and cocked my head curiously. "Takashi, what are you and Mitsukuni doing after this?"

"Whatever you want to do," he answered, knowing my next question. A smile blossomed on my face, and I found myself giggling.

"We'll talk after clubs," I assured him, winking. I barely caught that he was blushing, and I felt my own face heat. Looking at the girls, who were (surprisingly, I thought) smiling knowingly and giggling, I curtseyed to them. "Have fun with him, ladies." I laughed warmly and turned to see where Kyoya had walked off to. I saw him seated at a table near the back of the room, and I started to make my way towards him before I remembered I had not come here alone. I looked around the room and found myself frowning because I couldn't see my three friends anywhere.

I decided not to dwell on it, though, and seated myself across from Kyoya, asking, "So what are we going to do?"

Kyoya looked up at me and gave me that cold smile again. "German," he answered, tapping the book he had apparently put on the table before I got over there.

I fought the urge to groan and pushed myself out of my seat, moving around the table and taking the seat beside Kyoya's. He seemed slightly surprised but didn't comment as he opened the German book and flipped to the first chapter. I almost felt the urge to snap at him but I didn't. This would just mean we'd have to have longer tutoring sessions, considering we were more than halfway through the book. I smiled to myself as he started to teach me.

_Oh, Kyoya. Your insults have just made my job all the easier._

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> I spoke about this above, but I realized I had made a mistake earlier. It's springtime, and I have this set up before Haruhi comes in, so everyone is really one year below what you think; for now, at least. Sorry for the confusion.

**(2) **This should be familiar to you. Originally, I had planned on having Tsukiko and Tamaki get together for a short period of time (basically until a little while after Haruhi came in), but then I thought better of it. Unfortunately, she's still going to have a slight affect on Tamaki, but it won't last very long, nor will it happen often. I'm a _huge_ TamakixHaruhi fan, so no worries. c:

**(3) **I just thought that it would make the moment. You will find later on that she makes her lip bleed quite often when anxious.

**(4) **Honestly, Tsuki just let him get away with calling her princess. "Tsuki-hime" would bascially be calling her "Tsuki-princess" or "Princess Tsuki." So, honestly, Tamaki is still getting his way. XD

**(5)** So, I wanted to explain the importance of this. Simply, there are a few things in this world that I believe Mitsukuni would actually drop Usa-chan for. Later on you will realize that Tsukiko is one of those things (as is Takashi) but right now all I can tell you is that it's been seven years since he's seen her. His shock and happiness at that time would have caused him to drop anything he was holding; Usa-chan just happened to be in the wrong place at that time.

**(6)** If you haven't guessed by now, my original plan for Tamaki and Tsukiko (read **(2)** if you haven't) was transferred to Mori and Tsukiko. This is what Emiko was talking about in the previous chapter; Tsuki had developed feelings for Mori and hadn't realized them until she'd moved away. Granted, everyone else knew that the two liked each other back then (they would have been nine and ten) so now all that has to happen is having that little spark ignite, which will be easy for them considering they emailed each other constantly (which will be addressed later) and the feelings never really stopped. But Tsuki's plan is to tell Mori her feelings rather soon; she's just going to be convinced to wait a little bit by Hiroshi.

**(7) **So, basically, Kyoya's plan is to charge admission to Tsuki's concert in order to earn some more funds. I didn't know if it was obvious or not, so I thought I'd clarify. Needless to say, Tsuki's not going to let him get away with it that easily. C;

Well, as always, I hope you enjoyed the update! I would _really_ like to know what you guys think so that I can improve my writing and can possibly add in some stuff you might like to see. Not everything will be completely set in stone. o; So, please do review, guys! (Don't forget to let me know if you want me to make you aware of who this story is about in particular, even if it is obvious. d; I know I'm going to blow your minds with how it plays out, at least.)

**~DM **;)


	4. Crush

_Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to OHSHC; I only wish I did._

__So, even though I haven't gotten anymore reviews (which really makes me wonder if this story is just that bad) one new person alerted it, and I didn't want to disappoint/punish all the others who are following this just because no one leaves a review. Therefore, I want to thank everyone who has added this story to their alerts or favorites; it really does mean a lot to me. C:

Anywho, I obviously have yet another update for you guys ('cause I seem to be on a roll) and this time you can actually thank the OHSHC episodes I watched the other day. Kyoya just seemed ten times more adorable yesterday, and I felt like writing for fun; thus, you have this chapter. :D I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter<strong>** iv**_

Kyoya suddenly closed the German book, and I blinked at him. We had been working for all of thirty minutes, which meant there was still nearly an hour left of the club period. I opened my mouth to say something, but Kyoya held his hand up to keep me silent before he rummaged through his briefcase. The next thing I knew he was flipping open to a page of some agenda. He put it down on the table and flipped a couple of pages, nodding to himself as he flipped back through them, as if double-checking what was written there. Finally, his mouth curled into a satisfied smile, and he looked over at me. "I am available Monday through Thursday from eight to ten. We can average about two chapters a night, and you should be able to catch up with the class in two weeks. If you still need supplemental instruction after that, we can arrange a time to meet. Does that sound fine with you?"

I quirked a brow at him and retorted, "And who says I will be available those four days at that time?"

Kyoya actually looked slightly surprised. "Surely you jest, Nakamura-san," he replied.

"Actually, Ootori-san, I do not jest. Every Wednesday night from those times, it has been decided that I will call my mother. I used to live in Panama City Beach, Florida, and, in case you cannot calculate the time difference, it would be six am for her when we started talking. We talk until she gets to work at eight am," I answered, looking at him seriously. "On Tuesday and Thursday nights, I will be taking karate lessons." I was actually excited by this prospect; I couldn't wait to get back into proper fighting shape. "Therefore, Mondays are the only night I have available out of those four because I cannot skip my karate lessons; they're expensive because they are private lessons."

Kyoya closed his eyes, and I saw his nostrils flare. _What the hell is with him? He honestly couldn't have expected me to be free every day during that time frame, could he?_

"Ootori-san, I said earlier that I can find someone else to tutor me if needed," I reminded him quietly. He didn't answer me, nor did he open his eyes. I expelled a soft sigh, looking away from him and letting my gaze wander over the people in the room. There were five hosts in all (six, really, if Kyoya was included) and Tamaki seemed to be the only one who really worked alone. Which, honestly, was a good thing considering how melodramatic the violet-eyed boy was. Watching him with the girls around him was actually rather weird; they all seemed to believe every word that came from his mouth, and I wondered how deluded they had to be to do such a thing.

Then there were Takashi and Mitsukuni: the two who worked together but separately at the same time. The two did have a bond that was definitely different from the typical cousin, but it wasn't anything _homosexual_. Girls were so weird in that respect, finding things homosexual without them really being there. I will admit to having done it, but it was always with fictional characters, not real people.

And last there were the twins (whose names I did not know just yet). The twins definitely acted like they were homosexuals, but there was something about their words and actions that didn't ring true. It was obvious they cared deeply for each other, but it wasn't romantically inclined. And when they randomly hit on the other girls, there was an odd..._detachment_. I couldn't quite explain what it was, but it was a lot more obvious than with the others, who seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs and their clients. With the twins, though, it just didn't look as though it held the same appeal, and it made me wonder just what it was that tied them to this club.

"Nakamura-san, do not make me shake you." **(1)**

I looked up at Kyoya with a, "Hm?"

Kyoya kept his face perfectly neutral, but I heard the controlled anger in his voice. "You were off in your own thoughts again. What, pray tell, was so important that figuring out a schedule for your tutoring sessions did not take precedence?"

I frowned at him. "There is no need to be angry, Ootori-san. I was simply contemplating what could possibly be keeping those twins here when it's obvious to me that they do not enjoy being around, or flirting with, those girls."

Kyoya directed his gaze to the twins for a long moment, and when he finally looked back at me, he looked puzzled. "How could you tell that?"

"Oh, wouldn't you just love to know, Ootori-san?" I teased lightly, flashing him a smile.

Kyoya seemed to detect that I was not going to tell him what I knew, for his expression slipped back to its indifferent mask. "Well, Nakamura-san, what schedule would you suggest?"

I indicated his agenda. "May I?" Kyoya, surprisingly, handed it to me, and I scanned through the dates and the times quickly and easily. "You seem to have some time on Sundays, Ootori-san." I lifted my gaze to his. "We could do Mondays from eight to ten and Sundays from two to five—that would give us two chapters on Monday and three chapters on Sunday."

Kyoya thought it over before addressing a concern, "That means it would take us about a month to catch up with the class."

I knew automatically what he was referring to, and I smiled at him as I shook my head. "If we start on chapter two, of course it will. Have you possibly considered that I don't need help with any of the early chapters, though? I am not that much of a beginner, Ootori-san." I opened the German book to the table of contents and perused through it momentarily before nodding in satisfaction. "If we start on chapter five, I could be caught up in three weeks, and that would include catching up with the chapter the class will be on." I shut the book before looking up at him. "So what do you say, Ootori-san? Are you up to the challenge?"

Kyoya smirked. "Of course, Nakamura-san, but don't expect this to be easy for you. There is only so much I can do as a teacher if you do not utilize what you learn from me."

I chuckled and replied, "Don't worry about that. My grades are important to me..." _...and I know a lot more German than you think._

We were silent for a few minutes before I realized something we had yet to address. "Ootori-san, are we starting the tutoring sessions this week or next week? In my calculations, I assumed next week."

"Next week is what I calculated for as well," Kyoya murmured, though he seemed slightly distracted by the notebook he was writing in.

I nodded and let him write in silence for a few more minutes. "And where will we meet?" I questioned suddenly, and he paused in his writing, his hand tightening around the pen before he continued writing again.

"For Monday nights we could meet at your place. On Sunday afternoons, we could meet at the local café," Kyoya suggested.

I barely stifled a laugh. "Sounds like a plan." It probably wouldn't last very long when he found out where I lived.

I waited until he had relaxed into his writing again before I spoke, "Ootori-san?" His grip on his pen tightened to the point that his knuckles were white, and _finally_, he looked up at me. I made sure not to show my amusement at how easily I had annoyed him and asked a question that would insure his anger dissipated almost immediately. "How much would it cost for me to become a regular client?"

The tight grip on his pen loosened considerably, and Kyoya smiled, his eyes even closing. It was even worse than his cold smile, especially because it was probably the closest to a genuine smile I had received, and even then it was miles away from it. "For whom, exactly?" he inquired, pulling out his laptop.

I was momentarily distracted and didn't answer him because I had just seen him log onto his computer without seemingly doing anything. "You have one of those fingerprint scanners, don't you?" I asked excitedly, and Kyoya blinked, tilting his head.

"Yes," he answered, studying me carefully. "A business partner of my father asked me to test it."

I honestly didn't care that I probably looked like a kid on Christmas morning. "Test it how?" I queried, cocking my head.

Kyoya made a noise and abruptly shut his laptop and waited a moment for it to enter sleep mode before opening it again. He turned it towards me and instructed, "Try running your index finger over the scanner."

I stared at him in awe. "Seriously?"

"I need proof that it at least works for the time being; what better time to find out than now?" Kyoya answered logically.

I held my breath as I reached out and lightly ran my index finger over the scanner. I giggled giddily when I was denied access. "That is so cool," I breathed out. I was so awed by it that I didn't hear Kyoya chuckle, nor did I notice that he had turned his laptop back to face him, logging on easily as the fingerprint scanner registered his print.

"Nakamura-san, for whom did you wish to be a regular client?" Kyoya inquired, reminding me of the reason he had actually pulled out his laptop.

I shook my head to make myself focus and shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. I guess anyone you can put me with for any given day. I don't want to take up a spot with Takashi and Mitsukuni that some girl may want; besides, I'd probably just be a distraction for them if I were there all the time."

Kyoya glanced over at me. "So you are willing to be with any of the hosts—wherever you can be placed—so long as you can be with someone each day?"

I smiled and shook my head. "It doesn't even have to be every day, Ootori-san, just a few days each week. I could always help with the accounts or something if you're busy with clients and need the extra help on the days I have no host or hosts. I'd just like to spend time with everyone, understand their motives for being here, hopefully make friends with some of the girls."

That was when Kyoya surprised me by shutting his laptop again, and I frowned. What was wrong with what I had just said? "I'll make you a deal, Nakamura-san," Kyoya said after a short silence. "I will alternate the amount of days you are a client each week. One week you will be a client for two days, the next three, and then the week after back to two. The days you are not a client, you can help by running errands or assisting me with the accounts."

"And how much do you want each week?" I queried.

"Actually..." Kyoya hedged, "...I was thinking you could sing as payment for our services. Once each week, just to change things up a little."

"Ah, I see. You're hoping to bring in more clients, which means more money," I guessed. "And, of course, you would need to increase your prices, considering the props you would have to supply me with would be taken out of the budget, even though it wouldn't cost nearly that much." I smirked at the gray-eyed boy, shaking my head. "I must say, the way your mind works amazes me, Ootori-san."

Kyoya actually seemed pleased that I had caught on, and he merely quirked a brow at me. "Well?"

I laughed. "Under the condition that you do not increase your prices, I will agree to your terms. Ah, ah, ah, let me finish," I reprimanded him, wagging a finger at him as he opened his mouth to protest. "I will supply my own props, so nothing would be coming out of your budget. I feel bad enough about having these girls pay to come hear me sing."

Kyoya shook his head. "They will be paying for our services after they are initially attracted here. We will make sure of that."

"So we have a deal, Ootori-san?" I queried, wanting to be reassured.

Kyoya sighed and looked at me seriously, "Of course, Nakamura-san. The prices will not increase."

"Then I look forward to doing business with you."

"As do I."

* * *

><p>"Tsuki-hime!" Tamaki cried after the last girl filed out of the room and the doors closed firmly behind her. I winced and prepared myself for whatever Tamaki may do, but I found myself suddenly pulled up and into the embrace of someone.<p>

Correction, the embrac_**es**_ of two people. "Ah, the twins," I murmured to myself, noticing the different color of their uniforms (which I knew to be the middle schoolers' uniform) before looking up to confirm it definitely was the orange-haired boys.

The one on my right reached around and turned my face towards his, smiling down at me. "Good evening, Nakamura Tsukiko."

"We've heard quite a bit about you," the one on my left spoke, his chin resting on the top of my head.

"Yes, you're even more beautiful than Tono said," the one on my right added.

"With your beautiful, soft brown locks," the boy on my left sighed wistfully.

"And your seductively innocent emerald eyes," the one on my right continued.

"Hikaru, what are you saying?" the one on my left cried out in mock hurt. "I thought we were using generic lines..."

I was suddenly released, and the one on my right (Hikaru) pulled his twin into his arms, tilting his chin up and murmuring, "Oh, Kaoru, I didn't mean it."

The twins weren't allowed to get any further in their act because I couldn't help myself anymore and burst out laughing. It took me a few minutes to calm my laughter into giggles, and I had tears rolling down my face by that point. I looked up at the twins to see them smiling cockily. By the time I fully composed myself, everyone seemed to be smiling at me, except Kyoya. I wiped the tears from my face and nodded at the twins. "That was a very nice performance you two, but I have to say I didn't feel very special with those generic lines," I teased.

"Well, we can't always be perfect," the twin standing on the left (at least from my view) pointed out.

"That is very true, Hikaru," I agreed.

The twins blinked in surprise, and Kaoru was the first to recover. "How did you know we had switched sides?"

I blinked before thinking back on what had happened. "Huh. So you did. But I could just tell the differences in your voices."

"But we sound identical," Hikaru and Kaoru spoke at the same time, and I smiled with a shake of my head.

"Maybe to the untrained ear, yes, but not to me, boys." I allowed them to mull over that and walked over to Takashi and Mitsukuni. Mitsukuni hugged me, and I ruffled his hair affectionately before he released me. "So do either of you mind telling me their last names?"

"They're the Hitachiin twins!" Tamaki was the one who answered, and though I could tell he was close behind me, it wasn't enough of a warning. I was suddenly being twirled around. "I didn't expect you to come see us, Tsuki-hime!" Tamaki exclaimed happily.

"T-Takashi!" I yelped, hoping that his reflexes were as quick as they used to be. I was suddenly pulled into a safe, non-moving body, and I sighed in relief before squeaking and blushing darkly as an arm hooked under my knees so I was being carried bridal style. I instinctively curled one arm around Takashi's neck to help support me, knowing it would be pointless to try and fight out of his grip.

I looked over at the others to find Tamaki moping in a corner, the Hitachiin twins and Kyoya smirking knowingly, and Mitsukuni laughing happily. "Ne, Tsuki-chan, you're blushing~" the young blonde sang, and it only caused my face to burn more.

I refused to look at Takashi to register his expression and instead simply cleared my throat and addressed Mitsukuni. "So do you know what you want to do tonight?"

"Whatever you wanna do~" Mitsukuni chirped.

Normally, I would have been excited at the opportunity to choose what we were doing, but I hadn't had much time to see what all had changed in my seven year absence, and I honestly wanted Mitsukuni or Takashi to contribute to my slow (but ever-growing) pool of knowledge about the new area. "I seriously would love to tell you what I want to do, Mitsukuni, but I don't really know anything _to _do. Everything's changed quite a bit in the last seven years, and when I was here on tour, I didn't really get too far past my hotel door before I got into a car," I explained, hoping he would understand my unwillingness.

Mitsukuni frowned as he went into thought, and with how his brows furrowed, I honestly thought he was going to hurt himself. Thankfully, Takashi kept that from happening. "Pizza," he said simply, and Mitsukuni snapped his fingers, and his frown transformed into a grin, his eyes shining.

"Takashi, that's great! We can take her to Irongate! They have the best pizza ever, Tsuki-chan!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, laughing. "And then, afterwards, we can go get something sweet~ Does that sound good, Tsuki-chan~?"

I smiled at the honey-eyed boy. "That sounds great, Mitsukuni," I agreed with a nod.

"Well, well, what is this?" a male's voice rang out, and I blinked as I looked over at the door.

_Ah, hell._ I felt my face burn hotly even before anything else was even said.

"Tsuki's already managed to get into Mori's arms," Hiroshi finished, smirking at me. My face only burned hotter, and I sent my three friends dark looks.

However, my look apparently wasn't effective enough to get them to stop. "Well, she wouldn't be there if Mori-kun didn't want her there," Tamotsu pointed out.

"I believe you're correct, Momo," Hiroshi agreed.

Emiko giggled. "I don't think I've seen Kiko-chan's face that red _ever_."

"Mori-kun's blush is actually quite noticeable, too," Tamotsu added.

"Guys, will you stop?" I finally snapped. There had been a quiet conversation going on in the background with the other hosts, but it was now deathly quiet in the room. "It's one thing for you guys to tease me when it's just the four of us; you're lucky I even take it then. But there is no need to taunt Takashi, and especially not in front of his _friends_!"

Hiroshi, Emiko, and Tamotsu at least had the decency to look ashamed, but I wasn't going to be appeased that easily. They knew I didn't really like them to tease me about my feelings for Takashi, and it really bothered me that they were willing to even do it in front of people who were basically strangers to me. "Tsuki," Takashi murmured, and I (albeit rather reluctantly, for once) looked up at him. "Your eyes are silver."

I couldn't say I was surprised that they were; it happened when I was either angry or hurt, and in this case, I had an unhealthy dose of both. "I guess they would be," I mumbled, not sure what he was getting at.

A small smile formed on his lips. "They're pretty, but I prefer the green."

I blinked, startled, and my face started burning hotly again, which caused me to avert my eyes. I heard the blood pounding in my ears and knew my heart had started racing. I honestly didn't know what to say to that, so I took a page out of his book. "Ah." I heard Mitsukuni laugh cutely and felt my face only grow more red.

"Oh, she's just too cu~ute!" Tamaki exclaimed, and I was very glad that I was not on the ground because I was one hundred percent sure that if I had been, I would have been awkwardly crushed to Tamaki's chest as he babbled in his typical half-French, half-Japanese rant. As it were, he was babbling already, and naturally everyone simply ignored it.

"Well, seems like Tono chose to stop cultivating mushrooms," Hikaru and Kaoru commented with chuckles.

I shook my head and looked back in the direction of the door where my three friends had been silent. Takashi suddenly bent over and lowered my feet to the ground. I reluctantly removed my arm from around his neck and he nudged my back to reinforce his point. "Yeah, yeah, Takashi, I'm going," I muttered to him, childishly sticking out my tongue at him before I walked over to the two blondes and the black-haired boy. Clearing my throat delicately, I sighed out, "So."

Hiroshi spoke first, frowning. "Tsukiko, we're really sorry. We weren't really thinking; we should have known it would upset you, and it was very bad decision-making on our part."

"Yeah," Emiko added, looking the most pitiful out of the three. "We would never purposely do something that would hurt you like that."

"Especially not Emiko and me," Tamotsu added, smiling wryly. "Considering we just got back into good graces with you and all."

"That is a very true statement," Emiko stated, nodding vigorously.

I couldn't help but laugh softly. These three were my friends through thick and thin; it would be wrong to be angry with them for too long, especially after they apologized. Besides, it wasn't as though it were a life or death situation. "I will forgive you guys on the condition that you guys forgive me for getting angry over something so small," I stated.

"Of course we forgive you!" Emiko and Tamotsu exclaimed at the same time, rushing forward to hug me.

Hiroshi exhaled a deep breath, shaking his head. "I don't know, Tsukiko. I mean, I felt deeply hurt by that. Right here," he sighed dramatically, placing his hand on his chest.

I quirked a brow and remarked, "Uh, Hiroshi, your heart is on the left side of your chest."

"Who said I felt it in my heart? I was talking about the wound you left in my _soul_," Hiroshi continued dramatically.

I glanced at Emiko and Tamotsu to see them rolling their eyes, and I found myself smiling. "Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" I taunted.

Hiroshi seemed to seriously contemplate it before he answered, "Well, I was just gonna have you take me to dinner or something, but you're more than welcome to put your lips on me, Tsukiko. Though I didn't think you'd be the type of girl to do that stuff in public." His lips curled into a devious smile and he winked at me. "Never knew you were so kinky."

I burst out laughing and jumped at him, hugging him tightly as he easily caught me. "Pervert," I admonished affectionately, and I felt his hands slipping lower on my waist. Laughing, I wriggled out of his arms and shook my head at him.

"What? You said I was one," Hiroshi answered, acting completely innocent. "I thought you knew what my intentions would be."

"You are a sick man, Hiroshi," Emiko sighed, shaking her head.

Hiroshi bowed, lifting his head and smiling wickedly, "Guilty as charged."

"Oh, please; it's not like the three of us aren't sick. I think the only one who isn't is Kiko-chan," Tamotsu scoffed.

Emiko's mischievous smile said it all, and I felt my face start to heat up. "Actually..." Emiko hedged.

"You are a vile woman! Trying to taint Tsuki-hime's name; you should be ashamed of yourself!" Tamaki exclaimed from right behind us, and I literally jumped a few feet in the air, a squeak coming from me out of fear and surprise.

"Damn, Suoh-kun, you scared the—" I didn't get to finish my exclamation because a hand had covered my mouth, and Tamaki had started wailing in despair about my cussing.

"Jeez, Kiki. Did you not have to censor yourself in America?" Hiroshi asked exasperatedly.

I blushed and tried to explain myself, but I still had a hand over my mouth, so I'm sure all they heard was, "Mf mmm mfmmmmmfm m mmm mmm." The hand over my mouth moved, so I repeated myself, "No, sir, actually I did not."

"What kind of a school did you _go_ to?" Hikaru asked incredulously, and I smiled brightly.

"A public one, actually. Everything was free except lunch, and even then most of the food was horrid. By the end of my first year I was eating a turkey and cheese sandwich with Italian dressing. Surprisingly, it's a meal I actually miss," I answered, my explanation turning into an aloud musing. Embarrassingly enough, my stomach growled at that exact moment, but that was something I was used to having happen around strangers, so I didn't blush.

I heard Mitsukuni's cute laugh and realized that all of the hosts had migrated towards the door, which I believed was their cue for wanting to leave. However, before I could say anything about it, Mitsukuni looked up at Takashi and spoke, "Sounds like Tsuki-chan is hungry, Takashi! Maybe we should go?"

Takashi looked at me, and our eyes locked as he smiled slightly and said, "Ah." I blushed softly and averted my gaze, coughing delicately.

"Ne, Tsuki-chan, I just had a great idea~" Mitsukuni sang, skipping up to me.

"And what is that, Mitsukuni?" I asked him, smiling softly.

He lowered his voice and whispered (which, with Mitsukuni, is more-so a stage whisper, so everyone could still hear him) conspiratorially, "We should invite everyone with us."

I felt something akin to dread pooling in my stomach and ventured to ask, "And who is 'everyone'?"

"Everyone. Emi-chan, Mo-chan, Hiro-chan, Tama-chan, Kao-chan, Hika-chan, and Kyo-chan~" Mitsukuni chirped, smiling brightly with his honey-colored eyes shining. I simply couldn't deny Mitsukuni anything when he looked at me like that, and he knew it, the little chit.

"That's definitely a great idea, Mitsukuni," I agreed, nodding. "Why don't you ask them?"

Mitsukuni laughed giddily and turned around to face everyone. "We're going to go eat pizza and sweets, everyone! Do you guys wanna come~?"

Now, I expected a few people to decline because, really, it just seemed like it would have been awkward. Not to mention, we would be asking for a table of _ten_. But it seemed like these guys seriously had way too much free time on their hands because they all said _yes_. While they discussed how we were going to get to the pizza place, I walked over to stand in between Kyoya and Takashi. I could feel both of them looking at me, so I asked, "I guess no one's going to take the liberty of calling these people and telling them we're coming, are they?" I distinctly heard two soft chuckles, though they were barely audible. Resisting the urge to slump slightly, I sighed, "Yeah, I didn't think so."

This was going to be one long-ass night.

* * *

><p>"Tsuki-chan, sit by me!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, and I laughed softly.<p>

"I'm working my way to you, Mitsukuni, but you and Takashi just _had _ to choose the far end of the booth," I teased, sliding across the rubber seat with a little difficulty. Oh, yeah, that was right; I had a _dress_ on. You would think members of a host club would think about that, but these guys apparently didn't.

I was surprised to look up and see Hiroshi sitting across from me, with Emiko beside him and Tamotsu beside her (which meant that Tamotsu was seated across from Takashi while Emiko was across from Mitsukuni). I heard the Hitachiin twins and Tamaki arguing about something, and I sighed as I looked in their general direction. I wasn't sure what they were fighting about, but I could have sworn I heard my name involved, and if so, I had an inkling of what it might be. That was when I saw Kyoya walk around them and slide onto the booth seat beside me. I chuckled appreciatively, "Very nice, Ootori-san. You have effectively made their argument pointless."

Kyoya looked at me innocently, but for once I could see the glint in his eye, and I was not fooled by his nonchalant response. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Nakamura-san. I saw an open seat, and they were simply standing there."

"Actually, there were three open seats, Ootori-san," I corrected, motioning to the actual chairs across from him.

Kyoya shook his head. "Those seats would simply not have worked. I do not like having my back to the rest of the restaurant."

"If you say so, Ootori-san." I smiled and opened the menu in front of me, looking over the selections as I absently murmured, "You just wanted to sit by me."

Kyoya, of course, did not rise to the bait and answered quite generically, "That factored into my choice, as well. I do enjoy the company of an intelligent young woman."

"Now those host skills appear," I teased lightly. "I wasn't entirely sure you actually had them."

"Of course Kyo-chan does, Tsuki-chan!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, alerting me to the fact that the people actually seated had heard the conversation, though it didn't really matter. We weren't discussing anything secret. "In fact, Kyo-chan has the second highest amount of customers!" **(2)**

_That_ surprised me, and I was immediately distracted from my perusal for my dinner. I looked over Mitsukuni's head at Takashi for confirmation, and the black-eyed male nodded. I turned my head back towards Kyoya, incredulous. "Well, you're just chock full of surprises, aren't you, Ootori-san?" I was, of course, referring to all the times he had surprised me today, but I wasn't sure if _he _knew that. By the stare I received, that assumption was confirmed. "Eh, nevermind," I dismissed with a wave of my hand.

"Uh, shouldn't someone tell those three to stop arguing?" Emiko queried, motioning to Tamaki and the twins, who still hadn't noticed their argument was futile. "I think they've scared off all the servers."

When no one volunteered, I sighed and cleared my throat. I really didn't want to do what I was about to do, but since no one else seemed to feel like putting a stop to it, I felt that I had to, for the sake of my stomach. "Suoh-kun~!" I chirped loudly, and Tamaki immediately turned around. Before he could say anything, I cut him off. "You and the Hitachiins are scaring away the servers. Sit down, please, so we can get someone to take our order." My voice and smile were sweet, but the three teens obviously heard the steel edge underneath it, and they immediately sat down, Tamaki next to Kyoya and the twins in the only two seats open across from Kyoya and Tamaki. "Thank you, boys~" I sang, going back to looking at my menu. I heard some stifled laughter from the others at the table and a snicker from Kyoya, but otherwise it was suddenly quiet at our table.

Thankfully, that was enough to have two waiters come up to our table and take our drink orders, saying they would be back shortly. I felt Mitsukuni tug on the sleeve of my dress, and when I looked at him, he asked, "Our usual, but doubled?"

I closed my menu with a smile and, after looking at Takashi for confirmation, nodded. "Sounds great to me, Mitsukuni."

Hiroshi snorted, and I looked over at him with a quirked brow. "I don't think even _that_ will be enough for the three of you," he explained.

"Of course it won't be," I agreed, smiling brightly. "But after this, we're going to get sweets."

* * *

><p>By the time Takashi, Mitsukuni, and I finished our food, three people were gaping at me. "What?" I asked the twins and Tamaki irritably; they had been giving me odd looks all evening, and it had finally annoyed me.<p>

"H-how?" Hikaru stammered, incredulous.

"You're so small," Kaoru added.

"But you ate so much," Hikaru and Kaoru finished together.

"It's not natural!" Tamaki wailed.

Hiroshi, who was apparently enjoying this, leaned forward and said, "Oh, but guess what?"

"What?" the three boys asked in sync.

"She could still eat more. In fact, she will be eating more," Hiroshi answered. I found it odd that he was delighted by their horror-struck faces.

"But-but!" Tamaki sputtered. "How does someone so small and cute and _lady-like_ do that?" He managed to flail around while seated, which I found to be quite a talent.

I shrugged, taking a sip of my Pibb Xtra**(3)**. "I like food, Suoh-kun, and I have high metabolism. I haven't eaten anything since lunch, which is not normal for me."

"Her dad says people unknowingly call her bottomless pit a stomach," Hiroshi added in helpfully. I scowled at him, but he shrugged it off.

"Kyoya, is that even possible?" Tamaki wailed, gripping onto Kyoya's arm with both his hands.

Kyoya did not look happy that he had been dragged into the discussion, considering he had been writing in his notebook. Sighing, he looked up at Tamaki and pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, like he was going to say something big. It was obviously a letdown when Kyoya simply said, "Yes and no." He promptly went back to scrawling in his book.

"What does that mean?" Tamaki whined, and I decided to intervene before Tamaki's head became a permanent indention in the wall.

"By yes, he means it's possible that I would eat so much because of high metabolism. By no, he means it's not literally possible to have an endless pit in place of a stomach," I explained. This seemed to appease Tamaki because he stopped wailing about my eating habits. The silence that followed was very pleasant, and the waiters finally brought our checks. We had simply told them we were all on separate tickets (which actually probably made their jobs a bit more difficult). When one of them tried to hand my ticket to me, a hand intercepted it. "Hey!" I exclaimed, frowning at Takashi. "Why did you steal my ticket?"

Takashi didn't answer as he also took Mitsukuni's ticket, after which he pulled out his wallet. Mitsukuni grinned over at me before he laughed. "You should have known, Tsuki-chan~ We're gentlemen!" he chirped by way of explanation, and I shook my head with a sigh. I had known that it was very likely Takashi would pay for my meal, but I had hoped to keep it from happening since I could easily afford to pay for it.

"You may as well accept it, Nakamura-san. Arguing will not change the fact that you are not paying," Kyoya informed me, and I knew he was right and that I should just accept it gratefully.

So instead of arguing, I simply crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the wall, huffing, "Men."

* * *

><p>It was nearly ten by the time I was heading home, seated in the back of the Haninozuka family's limo, the sleeping Mitsukuni's head in my lap. I was running my fingers through his blonde locks, Takashi and I sitting in a comfortable silence. Well, mostly comfortable. I was itching to tell him I liked him, even though I was quite sure he had to know, but Hiroshi had convinced me not to say anything yet, and I had decided he was right. I mean, it was the first day I had seen him in years (well, excluding the times I visited while on tour) and suddenly blurting my feelings for him probably would not go over very well. I knew I wouldn't be able to withstand holding it in for very long, but I could manage for a week or two.<p>

I blinked as I heard movement, and then I felt Takashi's head on top of mine. I blushed darkly and stammered, "T-Takashi?" I was definitely confused by his action, and I was sure he knew it.

"I'm tired," he answered, and it all clicked into place. Of course; there was one thing about Takashi that had always been odd, and that was the fact that he actually got more talkative the more tired he was. It was pleasant, typically, but I had also noticed that he seemed a tad bit flirty when he was sleepy, which would not bode well for my face (that I was surprised wasn't permanently tomato red).

"Ah," I muttered, not knowing what else to say. I felt his head move slightly, but I wasn't sure what he was doing.

He didn't leave me guessing for very long. "Your hair smells nice," he murmured. "Kind of like cotton candy, but not exactly; it smells better than that." He was silent for a mere second before I felt him nuzzle my head. "Soft, too."

"Th-thank you," I squeaked, my face aflame. This was definitely not normal for Takashi, and though most people would have thought I would like this change, I couldn't honestly say that I didn't prefer the awake Takashi. He was typically very straightforward and didn't worry about elaborating, but when he was sleepy, he wasn't nearly as direct with his statements and often elaborated more than he should. Exhibit A: talking about my hair and trying to discern the scent. I would have been fine with hearing him say my hair smelt nice, and then I could have explained why. When he elaborated, I felt as though explaining was pointless. Don't get me wrong; I liked both sides of Takashi. His sleepy side has always been cute and has simply gotten even cuter as he aged. I just wasn't sure how to have a conversation with his sleepy side at the moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Takashi queried, and I blinked up at him, just now realizing he'd lifted his head.

I blushed softly and mumbled, "You. Particularly the differences between when you're wide awake and when you're sleepy."

Takashi smiled softly, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I inhaled sharply as I felt his palm brush against my jaw as he pulled his hand back, and I felt my face burn hotter as Takashi's smile widened knowingly. I coughed delicately, turning to stare at Mitsukuni's blonde locks. I heard Takashi's barely audible chuckle. "You are very pretty when you blush, Tsuki," he murmured, and I almost didn't hear him. I didn't answer, pretending like I hadn't, even though I know my face burned darker.

I had a feeling that things would have simply gotten worse if the driver hadn't suddenly rolled down the partition and announced, "We are at Miss Nakamura's hotel."

I exhaled a sigh of relief and thanked the driver before he rolled the partition back up. Lightly, I pulled Mitsukuni up into a partially-seated position so that I could slide out from underneath him. He stirred slightly as I leaned him against Takashi, who had scooted closer to the blonde boy. I heard the limo door open but ignored it for the moment. Leaning down, I kissed Mitsukuni on the forehead, which roused him long enough for me to tell him good night; he mumbled it back before he slipped back to sleep, and I smiled softly. Then, even after the extremely awkward ride there, I hugged Takashi briefly and tightly before smiling brightly at him. "Good night, Takashi; see you tomorrow."

Takashi smiled back, murmuring, "Good night, Tsuki-hime."

I made a face at him before laughing. "Don't you start that as well, mister," I chided, slipping out of the limo. It was nice to fully stand after being stooped over for those few minutes. "Thank you," I told the man who had opened the door. He smiled and bade me a good night before I headed inside.

I was in the elevator and almost to the penthouse floor when I cursed softly, "Damn it." I let my head fall back against the wall as I frowned at myself. I had left my schoolbag at school. So much for getting an early start on homework**(4)**.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) <strong> Interesting fact: The end of that sentence totaled to the word count 666 in this chapter (excluding the "chapter iv" of course); I thought it quite humorous. C:

**(2)** Keep in mind this is when the club had only been started for one quarter. So, though Kyoya is not seen with actual customers very often (if at all) in the show, he definitely had to have them to begin with. They couldn't have started the club with only five hosts, and since Kyoya was important to its formation, I thought this could be a valid statement for the time period.

**(3)** Japan has Coca-Cola products, and since Pibb Xtra is a Coca-Cola product, I assumed it would be fine for this story, in case you were thinking it was a far-fetched idea.

**(4) **This is in reference to her not having enough time to wait until the weekend, which was mentioned in the last chapter. I wasn't sure if you all would remember that, so I figured I would tell you. C:

So, I'm not going to lie; I didn't really like how the end of this chapter worked out, but it was rather awkward for me to try and have Takashi talk. However, I figure that he would have missed her as much as the others, if not more, and therefore he would want to be at least slightly affectionate. I don't have much to really go off for Takashi's sleepy side, considering I only read about it when I was looking up specific details. I'm basing everything I know off the show, which means that those of you who have read the manga will have to forgive me for not following its storyline after the last episode, "This Is Our Ouran Fair!" I will be making my own storyline after that, which means it will basically be a spin-off. Just a forewarning.

Anyway, as always, I would love it if you guys reviewed, even if it is only criticism *insert totally conspicuous cough here*! Thank you for reading! C:

**~DM **;)


	5. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

_Disclaimer: If I owned OHSHC, then I'd be able to draw; alas, I cannot draw to save my life._

All right! :'D This one took a while, but I hope you'll bear with me, considering I've had it done (mostly) for weeks. I just couldn't get the ending done the way I wanted. Finally, I got something somewhat decent and just figured, "I've written seventeen pages; surely they won't be too mad." So you're getting an update!

Now, I wanted to address some things. One - **MichieKiyomi **asked two very good questions. First, Mitsukuni and Takashi _are_ the two extra friends referenced in the chapter where I mentioned there being "five others" with Tsukiko. Second, Tsuki and Kyoya's "formal talks" with each other are happening for a couple reasons. Here's my line of thinking for it: Tsuki doesn't really know Kyoya, and since he comes off as simply "polite" rather than "friendly" like the others, she speaks formally with him. Until she gets comfortable enough around him, she will continue to speak like that. However, she also speaks formally because that's how Kyoya talks to her, and she is trying to accommodate him. On the other hand, Kyoya was speaking formally to her to begin with since he didn't know any other way to approach her. Now, however, he's speaking like that with her since _she__'s_ speaking like that. So in essence, they're going in circles with each other; I'm not sure when this will change, but it's bound to at some point. I think. XD

Second - **AWill99**, for being my second reviewer, this chapter is for you! ^^ I'm glad you're enjoying Tsuki and Kyoya's conversations; there's something in this chapter that will possibly become an every-day thing for them at some point, but I'm not telling you what yet; however, I will tell you that what may occur did not have anything to do with something Tsuki or Kyoya said to each other. C;

All right, then! Now that all of that is over with, let's get on with it!

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter v<strong>_

I hissed loudly as a sharp tug on my hair pulled at my tender scalp. "S-sorry, Miss Nakamura! We...we're almost done, I promise!" the rather young girl behind me apologized, and I imagined she was wincing.

The past five hours had been absolutely ridiculous, and they had been spent getting ready for the "Welcome Home" party my father had planned for this evening. So far, it hadn't been very welcoming, and I was pretty sure that I was late for my own party. I risked a glance at the clock in the room and confirmed my suspicions – I was _definitely_ late. In my defense, though, five hours had been plenty of time for me to get ready; in fact, it was really too much time. The maids my father had sent to attend me, however, had not done very well with their first attempt; otherwise, I would have been done about three hours ago.

It's a great story, actually. I had gotten to my father's mansion that afternoon to have the first dress I was wearing fitted and altered within an hour. That dress had been straight out of some princess film; pink and poofy are the only words that could describe it (and frankly, I had hated it). Then, the maids had started working on my hair and had then done my makeup. After they had finished, though, they had noticed something wrong with the dress I was wearing, and one of them had attempted to fix it. In that process, she effectively managed to make it worse. Being the kind-hearted person I am, I took the blame for it, and my father—though unhappy and obviously not believing me—frowned but promptly called the tailor and arranged for him to come back and alter a different dress.

That I was fine with, honestly. The second dress had been sleek and slim (as it would be easier to adjust), and it was a pretty cream color with red trim around the outside of the bodice. There was an elaborate red-colored and cream-colored lace pattern to the front of the skirt that I wasn't even going to attempt to describe (though I can say it was hanging loosely in front of the skirt and was not exactly a _part_ of it). I had not known anything about the back of the dress until I had it on, and then I had honestly freaked out. All that held the dress together was a red lace ribbon, and it only laced through three holes in the back. Most of my back was bare, and that included the small of my back. Simply put, I was worried that if I sat or stood the wrong way, people might see my underwear. Otherwise, I had no complaints about the dress; it was simply the indecent amount of skin exposure that bothered me.

That had brought the total time up to a little over three hours, and the maids had been working on my hair for nearly _two hours_. I wasn't sure how much longer my head could take it; I don't know how many times they had changed my hair in the last two hours, but they had apparently become aware of the time about twenty minutes ago and had chosen to do something a little less elaborate (or so I hoped). If they took my hair down one more time, I was going to tell them to simply brush it out and would wear it down.

"Done!" one of the maids squeaked, and I sighed in relief. I knew I would have to seek out some Tylenol to soothe my burning scalp, but that would have to wait until later.

"Can I see it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light so they didn't notice how agitated I was. I was suddenly facing a mirror, and one of the girls (the blonde one) held up a hand mirror, angling it to where I could see what was done with my hair.

"Oh, wait!" the other maid exclaimed (this had been the one who had apologized earlier, which meant she was the redhead). I suppressed a groan but found that what she did ended upcompleting the look. She pulled some of the bobby pins out of my hair, allowing the layered strands to fall forward in my face. "There; it's a cute, messy look."

She sounded satisfied, and she deserved to. Half of my hair was put up into a loose-looking (I say it that way because it was definitely not loose) messy bun with red lace somehow _braided_ into it, even though none of my hair was actually braided. The hair bow supposedly holding my bun together was covered with what I supposed was a diamond bracelet. In short, I was glad this was the hairstyle they had chosen to do in the end; I only wished they had thought of it to begin with.

"All right; now for your makeup." There must have been a look on my face that gave away my growing anxiety at how late I was to the party, for the blonde maid who had spoken smiled at me. "It won't take us that long, I promise." And she actually kept that promise. A few minutes later, I was looking at myself in the mirror and wondering just who I was; I had never really thought myself pretty until now. They hadn't caked the makeup on my face, thankfully. They had put on some base powder and had put blush across my cheekbones and on my chin to give my face a "natural" glow before they put on mascara with green flecks in it to bring out my eyes. There was a cream-colored dusting over my eyelids that glittered slightly, and my lips had simply been glossed, so they were their natural pink (but smelled ironically like cotton candy and vanilla).

"Oh!" the redhead exclaimed, snapping her fingers before she rummaged through a box, pulling out some red silk ribbon. I almost sighed exasperatedly as she moved behind me and started looping it around my neck—it was loose but tight enough to where it was firmly pressed against my skin. It wasn't typical for me, for I was used to wearing actual jewelry when going to events like this, but this particular look suited me a lot better, and I immediately liked it. If only I could wear something like it to all the events. "There! Now you're perfect!"

I turned to the girls and smiled brightly at them. "Thank you both very much for your assistance, especially in disposing of that hideous first dress." I shuddered slightly and heard them chuckle. "I hope to have you two attending me again in the future; I find that I quite like the way you make me feel pretty."

The two maids simply curtseyed to me and then followed me out the door. At the stairs, we went separate ways; they went up another set to the servants' quarters and I went downstairs, walking down the hallway to the ballroom doors. I stopped outside them, taking in a deep breath to prepare myself. I hated being late, and I felt self-conscious about it. I ended up staring at the doors, however, rather than step forward and open them. "Miss Tsuki, it seems to be a habit of yours to stand and stare at doors as though they may bite you," a warm, amused voice spoke, and I turned to see Tanaka Nobuyuki.

I smiled wryly at him, glancing at the double doors. "Only when I am anxious, Tanaka. The maids I had, though very capable, seem to have made me just a bit late," I murmured, even though I knew it was nearing an hour since the event had started.

Nobuyuki smiled politely at me, his hands clasped behind his back. "Miss Tsuki, forgive me for being frank, but I must say that with how beautiful you look this evening, no one will think twice about how long they had to wait."

I laughed, which helped soothe my nerves. "Tanaka, I know I have said it before, but your wife and daughters are very lucky women." I took another deep breath before nodding. "I believe I'm ready to face everyone now."

Nobuyuki didn't give me a chance not to be, for he immediately stepped forward and opened the doors to the ballroom. The noise level in the room dropped instantly, and Nobuyuki announced, "Miss Nakamura Tsukiko!"

I smiled timidly as I walked into the ballroom. I decided to go ahead and get the apology out of the way, but it didn't exactly happen as planned. "I'm sorry for being so horridly late," I basically blurted, resisting the urge to bite my lower lip or play with my fingers. "There were some complications we could not account for, and I can assure you that being pricked and jerked around for the last five hours was pre-destined punishment for my late arrival." I hadn't meant to apologize quite so indelicately, but chuckles rumbled through the room, which led me to believe the honest way I had spoken had not been considered too indecent. "Thank you all for being so patient, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening."

People understood I was finished speaking, and the noise level in the room rose almost immediately. I couldn't see my father anywhere, and I didn't know anyone in the room, so I did the only thing I knew to do: made a beeline for the refreshments table. My stomach grumbled happily at the sight and smell of all the food spread on the table, and I searched for something easy to pilfer. I caught sight of a platter of raw baby carrots and immediately scooped a couple of them out with the spoon. Though I preferred to eat them with ranch dressing, I knew better than to simply scoop some onto my carrots, so instead I went without any and started munching on the carrots as discreetly as I could while I continued wandering down the side of the table.

I had bitten into the last of my carrots when I heard an amused voice behind me. "I saw that." **(1)**

I whirled around, swallowing the bite of carrot, to see a blonde-haired, violet-eyed boy in a white tuxedo with a red rose pinned right above his heart. "Suoh-kun!" I breathed, surprised and relieved at the same time. At least it hadn't been a complete stranger who had seen my embarrassing attempt to eat some baby carrots without being caught. However, I was surprised to see him here. "What are you doing here?"

Tamaki smiled brightly and started to answer, but someone else beat him to it. "Tamaki's father did us quite a favor by ensuring your transfer into Ouran so quickly. Normally, it takes a few months to process transfer students because of the lengthy process with the School Board, but thanks to him, your process only took a few weeks. However, he could not be here tonight and sent Tamaki in his place."

I looked to my side to see my father (of course) standing there, smiling at me. "You refer to Suoh-kun as if you know him fairly well," I murmured, glancing between the blonde and redhead.

"That's because I do; his father and I go way back. You two probably would have seen a lot of each other when you were kids if Tamaki hadn't been in France until a couple years ago," my father answered, smiling warmly at Tamaki. "I didn't know you two were acquainted."

I winced, hoping that Tamaki acted more mature at events like this than he did when we were at school. "You didn't know we were acquainted?" Tamaki queried, blinking. He frowned slightly as he looked at me. "Tsuki-hime?" The way he said it was enough for me to know I needed to explain myself and _fast._

"No, no, it's not like that, Suoh-kun," I rushed to reassure the blonde, and it really wasn't. I hadn't told my father about _any_ of the host club, not even seeing Takashi and Mitsukuni again; I hadn't had the chance. "My dad and I just haven't had very much time to talk about any of my new friends at school since we've been trying to catch up. Seven years is a lot to account for."

Tamaki didn't seem all too reassured by my words, but he smiled anyway and nodded. "Of course. I understand." Which, of course, was complete bull; he didn't understand because he thought I had purposely avoiding telling my father about him.

"Suoh-kun, it's _really_ not like that. He doesn't know about Ootori-san, the Hitachiins, or even about my seeing Takashi and Mitsukuni. We seriously haven't had a chance to talk about it." I frowned, feeling horrible about it. Why hadn't I thought to tell my father about Tamaki and Kyoya last week, even if just briefly? Now Tamaki probably thought I didn't want to be associated as one of his friends.

"Apparently I'm going to have to start asking _you_ the questions, Sook," my father stated with a sheepish chuckle. "I feel bad not knowing about any of your friends, especially when I know most of them. I can't believe you didn't at least tell me about Mitsukuni and Takashi. You're so busy worrying about me and how I've been when it should be the other way around."

I felt slightly embarrassed as I mumbled, "I just got used to not really having any friends to talk about." Back in America I had made very few friends because of how early I had started singing; I had mostly just had private instructors because of how often I travelled. It had only calmed down marginally during the last year, which was why I had been permitted to go to a public school. But even then, most of the kids had been too awkward to really talk to me, and the ones who hadn't been were almost always trying to use me. That was why I had been so excited when my mother had actually spoken to my father about how bored I was with classes at home, and he had come up with the idea for me to go back to Ouran Academy. It took a lot of pleading with my mother to be allowed to go to Japan. I was certain that if she could have, she would have packed up and moved back to Tokyo to allow me to go back to Ouran Academy, but I didn't want her to give up her job and her life in America just for me to attend Ouran Academy. I had friends here, and I was certain I could make more friends here, too (and I had).

To this day, I still believe that the only reason she let me go back was because of my friendless state; it was obvious that she wanted me to have nothing to really do with my father, considering she was paying for me to live in a penthouse rather than just allow me to live with my father. Actually, I probably needed to remedy that at some point; Ouran Academy was quite a long walk from that hotel.

I yelped as I was suddenly being crushed against a tall frame, and I heard Tamaki wailing, "Oh, Tsuki-hime, I'm so sorry! Here I was thinking you were ashamed of me and the other hosts, and really you were just awkward about how to say you had any friends! How mean those Americans must be to—"

I managed to wriggle an arm free at that point and clapped my hand over his mouth, feeling my face burning in embarrassment; even my ears were burning by this point. Tamaki had made a scene, and almost everyone was staring at us—well, no, actually, not _almost_ everyone but _everyone_. "Suoh-kun, please release me," I gritted out through clenched teeth. How difficult was it for him to have acted as mature now as he had earlier?

Tamaki said something, and I reluctantly dropped my hand to allow him to speak. "Only if you'll start calling me Tamaki," he answered with a grin. I quirked a brow at him, and he chuckled. "If not Tamaki, then Tama-chan."

I felt my eye twitch, and I huffed, "Fine. Will you please release me..." I paused and closed my eyes before mumbling, "...Tamaki?"

Tamaki giddily twirled me around, gushing, "You're so cute, Tsuki-hime!" However, he did promptly release me afterwards.

I looked over at my father, who was looking at Tamaki with an odd expression on his face. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it didn't look all that pleasant. **(2)** "Dad, I'm not exactly sure how this works, but don't I need to be introduced to at least most of the guests?" I queried, cocking my head. My father nodded and offered his arm to me. I looked at Tamaki and managed to smile warmly at him, even though he had embarrassed me a mere few minutes ago. "Ne, Tamaki,"—that was so weird to say—"I'll talk to you later this evening. Maybe if you're good and don't have any more outbursts, I'll dance with you." I was mostly teasing about the last bit, but it would be helpful if he didn't create more of a ruckus than he already had.

Tamaki suddenly bowed, lifting his head to smile charmingly at me. "Of course, princess. I look forward to dancing with such a beautiful young woman." **(3)**

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him and placed my hand in the crook of my father's elbow. "Enjoy your evening, Tamaki," my father bid the joyful blonde as he started walking away. He barely waited for Tamaki to be out of earshot when he asked, "You do realize that he is developing feelings for you, correct?"

I laughed softly with a light shake of my head. And people wondered where I got my honesty from? "Yes, it was brought to my attention earlier this week. Don't worry, Dad. He's not my type, and he'll move onto someone else fairly soon," I replied quietly, knowing he needed the reassurance. "Now, how about you stop worrying about Suoh-kun so we can get these introductions over with and I can get something to eat before being forced to dance for two hours straight?"

Then it was my father's turn to laugh. "Hearing someone else speak so honestly is quite refreshing," he said as he smiled warmly at me and patted my hand. "Let's get started, then, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Nearly two hours later we were getting close to finishing the rounds, and I was exhausted. I had never expected so many people to ask me questions about my stay in America and about my plans for the future; apparently only a few of them expected me to stop singing to take over my father's business when I was old enough. Honestly, I had to say that I was a bit disappointed that people thought I would so easily allow generations of work to be handed over to some other family. I had always been excited about taking over my family's company; singing professionally hadn't been part of my plans, nor was it going to be. I greatly enjoyed it, yes, but I knew it wouldn't last and I was genuinely interested in my father's business. It surprised most of the guests to hear that (and I'm sure disappointed some of them) but it pleased quite a few, particularly the men who owned medical companies and wanted a business deal with my father—and most especially the men in that group who had sons within my age range.<p>

I looked up to ask my father the name of whom we were going to speak with next, but I was cut off by someone saying, "Good evening, Rou." I blinked, glancing around my father to see who had greeted him so informally; "Rou" was something I'd only heard very close friends of my father use. There was something about the timbre of his voice that sounded very familiar, but I wasn't sure what.

My gaze landed on the man, and I had to force myself not to stare open-mouthed at the black-haired man. His face was sharp and angular, adorned with a beard and mustache, and a pair of rectangular glasses were settled on the bridge of his nose, covering gray eyes. And then he looked over at me and greeted me with, "Good evening, Tsukiko," and the timbre of his voice just clicked with everything else.

"You're Ootori-san's father, aren't you?" I asked, incredulous. This man – Kyoya's _father_ – was good friends with _my_ father. Yet my father had agreed to let me enact my plan to figure out if the Ootoris' company would be beneficial for my father to sign into a business agreement with; it didn't make sense. I looked away from Kyoya's father and looked at my own, whispering, "Then why?"

My father was not a dimwitted man, so he had easily followed my line of thinking. He smiled, shrugging one shoulder. "Tsuki, you should know that signing a business deal with someone simply because he is a friend is not proper business management," my father answered easily. Which, yes, I did know; I wasn't daft. But he was _allowing_ me to _spy_ on his _friend_. That just sounded like it crossed a few lines.

Instead of saying something else that could have made me look stupid, I promptly shut up about that subject and looked at Kyoya's father before curtseying. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ootori-sama. Your son sounds quite a bit like you." I meant that more than just in the literal sense; there was a note of polite detachment from Kyoya's father, something Kyoya _still_ had after speaking with me for a couple weeks.

"The pleasure is all mine, Tsukiko. Kyoya speaks quite highly of you; he says you are adjusting to the classes already," Kyoya's father replied, bowing at his shoulders respectfully. I was honestly surprised that Kyoya would say something like that in the first place—and even more so surprised that his father would so easily admit that to me. After the initial surprise, though, I was flattered.

"I cannot take all the credit, though. Your son has been very helpful in assisting me with any questions or problems I may have," I responded truthfully, smiling to myself as I thought about his tactics to help me with the German quiz we'd had the other day—tactics I hadn't needed. I wasn't sure how I was going to fool Kyoya into believing I couldn't keep up with the class; I had never lied to someone about needing tutoring before.

Kyoya's father offered a polite smile as I praised his son, and his tone was more rigidly polite than before as he spoke, "Yes, Kyoya is a bright young boy."

I licked my lips to keep myself from biting down on my lower lip, and I cleared my throat slightly, glancing at my father. I honestly wasn't sure how to respond to that, and I was hoping he would notice and step in. However, I didn't have to worry for much longer because someone else caused a distraction. I felt a light tug at my dress, and I blinked, looking over and then down into a rather young blonde girl's pair of deep blue eyes. A smile blossomed on my face as I bent down slightly, cocking my head. "Well, hello there~" I chirped, and the little girl blushed before smiling shyly at me. "What's your name?"

"Kurisa," she murmured, and I smiled warmly at her shyness.

"It's lovely to meet you, Kurisa-chan. My name is Tsukiko, but you can call me Tsuki," I replied softly.

"I-I know who you are," Kurisa stammered. "I wanted to ask you something."

I chuckled and lifted both my arms before letting them fall back to my sides. "Ask away, Kurisa-chan."

"Are you going to sing?"

The question caught me off guard, and I blinked in surprise. Before I could recover and answer her question, I heard an exclamation of relief, "Kurisa!" I looked up to see a man with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, walking briskly towards us. He bent down and turned the girl around, his hands on her shoulders as he scolded lightly, "Honey, you can't go running off like that. You scared your mother and me to death."

I straightened as the man looked up at me; he straightened as well. "I'm so sorry, Nakamura-san. I hope she didn't interrupt your conversation," he apologized, wincing slightly as he glanced over my shoulder at the two men behind me.

"Oh, no, Kurisa-chan did not do anything of the sort," I replied, even though it was slightly a lie. She had saved me from awkwardly standing there without knowing what to say. I returned my attention to the little girl and cocked my head at her. "Do you want me to sing, Kurisa-chan?" I queried, and I noticed that her father stiffened slightly, obviously realizing that was what his daughter had run off to find me and ask.

Kurisa glanced at her father before nodding meekly. I chuckled and glanced over at my father with a quirk of my brow. "Would that be appropriate?"

My father shrugged, smiling at me. "I don't see why not. In fact, you could start the entertainment off. But I would suggest you choose a song appropriate for this," my father answered wryly.

I brought a finger to my lips, tapping them as I thought for a short moment. "Hm, I was thinking I could sing 'Only Hope.' **(4)** It's not really a fast beat, and the only instruments used in it are pianos and violins. And it's kind of romantic."

My father laughed softly, bringing me out of my thought process. "The title would have been enough, Sook. I _do_ know your songs," he teased affectionately.

I flashed him a smile before looking over at Kurisa and her father. "Ne, Kurisa-chan, would you be willing to go somewhere with me for a few minutes?" The little girl seemed surprised but nodded eagerly, and I looked at her father. "Do you mind if I take her with me, sir?"

"I..." The man paused, glancing down at his daughter who was looking at him hopefully. "I guess not." He released his hold on her, and she rushed over to me, latching onto the hand I held out.

"Don't worry; I will take good care of her," I assured the man, smiling reassuringly. Turning around, I curtseyed quickly to my father and Kyoya's father. "I apologize, but if you will excuse me, I do believe some last-minute arrangements must be made. Once again, it was a pleasure to meet you, Ootori-sama." Then, tugging the little girl along with me, I walked away from the three men. I smiled down at the little girl and asked, "So, are you ready to have a little fun, Kurisa-chan~?"

Kurisa giggled and nodded. "Yeah!"

* * *

><p>I looked over at the pianist inquiringly, and he nodded; the violinists did the same when I looked at them. I cleared my throat before stepping forward, looking at all the people as they quieted down; they were still spread out, so it wasn't anywhere near like the crowd at a concert, and I felt oddly nervous as I stood in front of them all and spoke, "Good evening, everyone. I'm sure some of you are probably very curious right now, so allow me to explain. This little girl,"—I motioned to Kurisa, who was standing right beside me—"asked me to sing something for all of you. I couldn't say no to such a pretty little girl, and therefore I will be starting off your entertainment for the night. Kurisa, after much cajoling, agreed to dance. So, without further ado, I will sing one of my few slightly slow singles, 'Only Hope.'"<p>

I stepped back from the microphone and looked down at Kurisa, moving my hand to lightly squeeze her shoulder in reassurance before I glanced at the pianist. He immediately struck up the first few chords of the song, and I stepped forward again, watching as Kurisa walked past the microphone to stand in the front of the stage.

"There's a song that's inside of my soul  
>It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again<br>I'm awake in the infinite cold  
>But you sing to me over and over and over again"<p>

The piano part picked up suddenly, and Kurisa started a sudden movement of graceful limbs, practically echoing the words of the song.

"So I lay my head back down  
>And I lift my hands and pray<p>

To be only yours  
>I pray to be only yours<br>I know now you're my only hope"

She ended the chorus with a slow twirl, gradually bending into herself to spin faster before expanding again to slow down. As the second verse started, she resumed her graceful movement of limbs, extending her arms and legs in ways I couldn't even begin to describe but that fit the song better than I had thought possible.

"Sing to me the song of the stars  
>Of your galaxy dancing and laughing<br>And laughing again  
>When it feels like my dreams are so far<br>Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again"

She slowed to a stop before she resumed the sudden movements she had been doing during the first time the chorus had been sung. I was honestly stunned at how well this little girl could dance.

"So I lay my head back down  
>And I lift my hands and pray<br>To be only yours  
>I pray to be only yours<br>I know now you're my only hope"

As the next verse started, she began a series of graceful bounds and pirouettes, anticipating the ardent feelings of the song and assisting in expressing them to their full potential.

"I give you my destiny  
>I'm giving you all of me<br>I want your symphony  
>Singing in all that I am<br>At the top of my lungs

I'm giving it back"

She ended with a slow spin once again, coming to a complete stop before her movements anticipated the chorus; however, this time her movements were more exaggerated, as though the final chorus had more feeling in it than the previous two.

"So I lay my head back down  
>And I lift my hands and pray<br>To be only yours  
>I pray to be only yours<br>I pray to be only yours  
>I know now you're my only hope"<p>

She came to a slow stop, spinning low to the floor and ending on her stomach, her legs straightened out on the ground and her right arm extended; her head laid on it, tilted slightly so she was looking out at the crowd, her left arm curled under her body slightly with her hand protruding out from beneath her, curled into her neck.

There was an awed silence before the group in front of us burst into applause, and I moved past the microphone to stand beside Kurisa, helping her up before we both curtseyed. She was giggling breathlessly, and I found it contagious, for I started giggling as well. Tugging her along with me, we walked off the stage and I scooped her up into a hug. "You were _amazing_, Kurisa-chan!" I exclaimed before setting her back on the ground. "Why didn't you tell me you could dance like that?"

Kurisa blushed slightly, becoming shy again before mumbling, "It's only that one song. I won a competition with it a few months ago."

I stared at the girl in awe before my lips curved into a warm smile. "I'm sure if you wanted to, you could win another competition with a different song. You have some true talent, Kurisa-chan."

She giggled out a thanks before we were suddenly surrounded; her by her parents and me by four teenagers.

"Tsuki-hime, that was so sweet of you!" Tamaki wailed, crushing me to his chest. I winced, pushing at his chest to no avail. "The way you let that little girl dance with you brought tears to my eyes! I will never be able to listen to that song without thinking of this day!"

"Tamaki, let her go," I heard Emiko mutter, but the blonde boy didn't listen as he continued babbling nonsense. "Mori-kun, a little help for her?"

When I heard Takashi's nickname, I knew he was my only hope (considering Kyoya was the only one who could get Tamaki to release me just by ordering him to). "Takashi," I gasped out, my eyes starting to water because I was beginning to lose control of my windpipe. I was easily yanked out of Tamaki's grip and settled on the floor. I rubbed at my throat and collarbone before looking up at Takashi. "Thank you."

"Ah."

Oh, the one syllable that meant so many things. I laughed softly before I was attacked in a hug. "Tsuki-chan, your singing was amazing!"

I smiled and patted Mitsukuni on the head. "Thank you, Mitsukuni," I replied warmly. I glanced from him to Takashi and queried, "So what are you two doing here?"

"Well, your dad invited one of my uncles because he's been giving you private karate lessons, and he asked me to go for him. And of course, I couldn't come without Takashi," Mitsukuni explained easily, smiling brightly up at me. "Besides, I didn't want Takashi to miss out on a chance to see you again since we haven't seen you since Monday."

Takashi and I blushed at the same time, and I averted my gaze from him with a delicate cough. That was becoming a recurring habit. "Yeah, sorry about that, but I had a lot of work to do. I'll be showing up as regularly as I can starting next week though," I explained.

"Nakamura-san?" a voice interrupted whatever was going to be said next, and I twisted around awkwardly (considering Mitsukuni was practically clinging to me) to look at the person who had spoken. The brown-haired boy was familiar, and I quickly searched for his name; it shouldn't have been so difficult to recall, but it was. "I am sorry for interrupting, but you _do_ owe me a first dance," the brunette spoke with a smirk curling his lips, his hazel eyes glinting.

I immediately remembered his name: Saito. However, his last name was eluding me. I silently cursed my luck because this had just gotten so much more difficult for me. I had nothing to call this boy by because I sure as hell wasn't going to call him his first name. "Of course," I answered, smiling politely.

"Kiyoshi, the band isn't going to start the music for another five minutes," Emiko told the male, and I could hear she was restraining from snarling at him. "So why don't you go flirt with some other poor, unfortunate soul until then?" I was surprised by the animosity that was vaguely veiled in her tone.

Saito's smile tightened, his eyes narrowing just the slightest bit. "Of course, Kanada," he replied levelly, though I could hear the animosity in his tone as well. Turning to me, he bowed, murmuring, "I will return for you." He then abruptly turned on his heel and walked barely far enough away to be out of earshot.

I turned my incredulous gaze to Emiko, raising my brows at her in question. "We don't have long, so I'd suggest you quickly explain what that obvious despise between the two of you was about."

"Kiyoshi Saito is an arrogant prick who has felt the need to express his blatant dislike for 'my kind' by embarrassing Tamotsu and me on a nearly daily basis since middle school," Emiko gritted out. "His family owns some of the hospitals a few cities over; I assume the Kiyoshis are a prospective business partner of your father."

I found myself blanching at the thought. "No, thank you. I don't want to deal with that boy when I get older; he's a creep." I paused before adding, "And I don't think I could work with someone who didn't like some of my best friends because they were homosexual." Shaking my head, I smiled at Emiko. "Now, I'm kind of curious as to why you're here, Mimi."

Emiko laughed and winked at me. "Who else is going to protect you from the endless amount of perverts?" When I made a face at her, she grinned. "No need for all that. I honestly can't believe you weren't told before now. My dad and yours are kind of business partners. They merged companies a couple years ago when my dad was going through a rough spot, which means my dad's more-so the Vice President of your dad's company rather than a Co-President."

I was shocked; out of all the information I had gotten from my father in the past two weeks, this had not been included. But knowing my father, he had wanted me to hear it from my own friends, so I would know how they felt about it. Thankfully, Emiko seemed quite pleased with the arrangements, which meant I would have to speak with Tamotsu about it at a later date in order to see how _he_ felt, considering he had been the heir. Now he'd likely be working for me, and it just didn't seem right.

Before I could say anything else to Emiko, a throat was cleared. "Nakamura-san, the first dance is about to start." Damn, that boy just had _great _timing, didn't he? I tried to turn around and face Saito, but I was suddenly reminded that Mitsukuni was still clinging to me. I honestly was surprised he'd been so quiet while I talked with Emiko.

I smiled at Mitsukuni, brushing my fingers through his blonde locks. "Mitsukuni, I can't break my promise to Kiyoshi-san," I murmured gently.

The blonde pouted, his honey-colored eyes large. "Will you dance with me next?"

I chuckled and nodded. "Of course, Mitsukuni~" I chirped, smiling brightly at him.

"Yay~" Mitsukuni exclaimed giddily, twirling me around once before he released me and gently pushed me towards Saito.

I shook my head with a fond smile before I looked at Saito, who had his hand held out to me. My fond smile turned into a polite one (that I was lucky wasn't a grimace) as I took his hand. These next two hours were going to be dreadful.

* * *

><p>I was taking a short break by the refreshment table, drinking some type of punch (that I wasn't really all that fond of) while listening to Tamaki babble about how I needed to take care of myself to ensure I didn't faint. He had noticed I wasn't very stable at the beginning of one of our dances, and he had pulled me aside to get something to drink because he was worried about my blood sugar. I honestly couldn't wait for this evening to be over with so that I could actually <em>eat<em> something. I was starving, and my stomach was relentless in its grumbling to show how upset it was with me for not eating anything but a few baby carrots since that morning.

"Good evening, Nakamura-san," a voice pleasantly greeted me, and I turned around to snap at whoever the hell it was that was about to ask me to dance when it was obvious I had been pulled aside by my dance partner.

But I stopped just short of snarling at the boy behind me when I looked up into a pair of gray eyes framed with glasses. His black hair wasn't styled any differently (go figure) but he was wearing a black tuxedo with a gray vest and tie that matched his eyes. I wasn't sure if it had been intentional, but it was definitely a startling effect. I was breathless for a brief moment, and a knowing smirk curved his lips; that was enough for me to remember just who I was looking at. **(5) **"You know, Ootori-san, I have recently started wondering to where your manners seem to have fluttered," I murmured, taking a sip of my punch as I turned my back on him.

"I must say I have no recollection of having lost them," Kyoya answered, coming to stand beside me.

"Kyoyaaa!" Tamaki greeted, drawing the black-haired boy's name out longer than needed. "When did you get here?"

Kyoya's gaze flicked over to Tamaki as he replied, "Just a moment ago. My father had to leave early and requested I come in his stead."

"Ah," I intoned, smiling and nodding to myself. "That's more like the Ootori-san I know."

I heard a giddy laugh from my other side and knew that Mitsukuni had likely been there for a moment. "Ne, Kyo-chan, I think that's what Tsuki-chan was waiting on you to say when she spoke about your manners~" Mitsukuni explained (quite needlessly). A quiet grunt was Takashi's agreement.

_Never far from Mitsukuni's side, that one_. I sighed softly, finishing my cup of punch. I glanced over at Tamaki and Kyoya, who were having a quiet discussion, before looking at Mitsukuni and Takashi, who were simply standing there. I had no idea where Emiko had run off to, but she was more than likely having a fun time, so I didn't really care. With a second glance to ensure that Tamaki and Kyoya were engrossed in their discussion, I took a couple of steps closer to Takashi and tugged on his jacket sleeve to get his full attention (though I was fairly sure my sidling up to him was enough to get his attention). I looked up at him, smiling slightly as I felt my face start to flush. "I know this probably isn't the best time or place, but..." I shifted my gaze away from him and glanced at Mitsukuni, who was jittering in excitement since he knew what I was going to say. I looked back at Takashi, who had his head tilted to show he was listening, and then plowed on. "I like you, Takashi, a lot. I'm sure it's been really obvious, but I needed to get it off my chest." I saw the faint blush that dusted his face, but the muscles around his eyes twitched briefly, which gave me my warning. "I know what you're going to say, but I have a proposition for you. Will you hear me out before you reject me?"

Takashi's eyes softened, and he nodded. "Ah." At that moment, that one syllable was my favorite syllable in the world. He held his hand out to me, and I blinked up at him, not sure what he was doing. "Dance with me," he answered my silent question, and I felt a blush and a smile blossom on my face. I set down my cup before I slipped my hand into his as a new song started playing, and he swept me onto the dance floor. He smiled down at me, and I felt my heart skip a beat. "Proposition," he prompted me, and I scrambled in my thoughts for a short moment, trying to remember it; it was seriously hard to think when I was this close to Takashi, especially since we were touching.

"Right," I croaked before clearing my throat with a blush. "I know your primary worry is about Mitsukuni. You don't want to be distracted by worrying about me and then have something happen to him that you think you could have prevented." I saw his eyes flash in protest, and I gave him a warning look to keep quiet. "But you're going to be juggling that problem anyway, considering you like me, too." I paused before I frowned. "You do like me, too, right?"

Takashi looked like he was weighing the pros and cons of his answer before he finally murmured, "Ah."

Relief burst through me, and I giggled happily. It was amazing to have that confirmation of a speculation others had been telling me about. "Oh, right, proposition," I reminded myself, shaking my head. "Since you like me, too, you're already worrying about me. So that wouldn't change if we got together; you can't really suppress your worries, Takashi." I paused to think of how to word my next bit delicately then decided that being frank would be a lot easier. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to give us a chance until the end of the quarter."

"Hm," Takashi intoned, encouraging me to elaborate.

"We could be a couple until the end of the quarter, to see if you can handle it. If you can't, then we'll call it off when summer starts. Or if I think you're getting too stressed by it, we'll call it off before then. I've been thinking hard about this, Takashi. I just... I've liked you for years, and I lost my first chance seven years ago, when we were still young and you weren't as torn as you are right now. That's why I'm asking for a second chance now." I expelled a soft sigh. "If you are firmly set in your belief that it can never work—at least, not right now—then tell me no, and I will make sure that things between us don't end up becoming awkward. But if there's even the slightest doubt in your mind, I'd really like for you to give us a shot." The music slowed to a stop, and I flashed the onyx-eyed boy a smile. "You can think on it for as long as you need, even if it's a couple weeks." **(6)** I lightly squeezed the one hand that held mine before I released it, turning and walking back towards the refreshment table.

I knew Takashi had followed me since Mitsukuni immediately started talking with him, and I blocked the two out as I walked up to Kyoya and Tamaki, clearing my throat. "Some amazing hosts you two are," I muttered sarcastically as the two boys looked at me. "I understand you are supposedly off duty since these are not club hours nor is it a club-related activity, but I thought your manners towards a lady were better than this."

Tamaki started to wail apologies, and I honestly wondered why I was so determined to tease him about his skills when he always did that. It kind of put a damper on the mood. "Ne, Ootori-san, do you really not know how to quiet him?" I sighed, looking at the gray-eyed boy.

Kyoya chuckled and held his hand out to me. "I really do not, but he cannot apologize if you are dancing," he replied. "Shall we?"

Kyoya wasn't exactly someone I really _wanted_ to dance with, but he definitely beat most of the other prospects, so I slipped my hand into his as we walked away from the abridged group and into the crowd of people on the dance floor as yet another dance started. It felt weird to go from a rather comfortable dance with Takashi to a completely formal dance with Kyoya. We were quiet for a long moment when I unceremoniously stopped supporting the weight of my head and let it fall against Kyoya's chest. I felt him stiffen, and I murmured an apology.

"Nakamura-san, I doubt there is a need for me to explain how highly inappropriate this is," Kyoya muttered darkly, and I could imagine the look on his face.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Ootori-san," I murmured as I started shaking, even though I wasn't cold. "I... I think I'm about to faint."

Kyoya muttered something beneath his breath as he stopped dancing and circled his arm around my waist; he practically carried me off the dance floor and over to an empty table, slipping me carefully into a seat as he removed his arm from around my waist. "Stay here with her," he murmured to someone as I laid my head down on the table. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe through the blackness starting to crowd my vision.

The next thing I knew I was pulled up rather roughly, and a cup was pressed to my lips. I mumbled a protest, something I was sure was unintelligible about the punch, and I heard Kyoya reply, "It's not punch; now drink it." I obliged hesitantly, but when the taste of chocolate and peppermint hit my tongue, I raised my hands to grab the cup so I could get more of it. "Not so quickly," Kyoya muttered, pulling the cup away from my lips. "You only needed a jump-start of sugar. You have a turkey sandwich on a plate in front of you. Are you going to open your eyes so you can get it, or do I have to force-feed you?" Though he was trying to make his words harsh, there was amusement laced in his voice, and I knew he was just lashing out because I had made others worry by not taking care of myself.

My lips twitched, and I answered wryly, "I don't know; you may just have to feed me, Ootori-san." I was joking, of course, but when I heard Kyoya set down the cup of peppermint hot chocolate, I opened my eyes to see that he had started to reach for the plate. "Ugh. Not funny, Ootori-san; like I would ever stoop to that level of humiliation. It was bad enough that you were coaxing me to drink." **(7)** I weakly swatted his hands away from my plate before I picked up the sandwich and took a bite. I moaned softly as the flavors exploded across my tongue and had to force myself not to basically inhale the sandwich. At that moment it tasted like the best thing I had ever eaten.

"Ne, Tsuki-chan, we were so worried!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, and I looked over to see I had quite a crowd around my table. Takashi was there, of course, and I felt a flash of guilt since he probably thought it was partially his fault or that he should have noticed something was wrong. I took a moment to frown at him and shake my head, though I wasn't sure he would understand my message.

My father was standing next to Takashi, his brows furrowed in concern, and I saw Nobuyuki hovering just behind him, as if ready for any order that might be given. Emiko was next to my father, her face pale as she stared at me worriedly. A few of my father's business associates were lingering a little ways behind them. However, no one seemed to be willing to ask or say anything, so I continued eating my sandwich as I looked over at Kyoya. I saw someone shift behind him, but I couldn't really get a good look at who it was (though I was almost certain the person was a male).

Kyoya noticed where I was looking and smiled politely. "His name is Tachibana; he's one of my personal bodyguards." It was a short explanation, but it addressed the question I had wanted answered. It was clear Kyoya would not answer any other questions I may have asked. It didn't matter all that much, though; at least I knew that the person wasn't a threat to him.

I swallowed my bite of sandwich and asked, "Is he the one you told to stay with me?" I promptly took the last bite of my sandwich, savoring it since I wasn't sure if I would be given anything else.

"Yes," Kyoya answered simply, and I nodded.

I frowned at my now empty plate, feeling my stomach grumble again. I placed a hand on my stomach (as if _that_ would quiet it) and stared at my plate as though food would magically appear on it. After a long moment of that, I glanced wistfully at the food on the refreshment table. Honestly, I would have settled for some carrots and ranch dressing at that moment.

"Sook?" my father queried, causing me to shift my gaze to him. "Are you all right?"

I smiled sheepishly at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't eaten anything since this morning, and I guess it caught up with me," I mumbled. My gaze started to stray back to the refreshments table but caught sight of a tall blonde moving towards me with a plate in his hand. I hadn't even noticed Tamaki wasn't in the crowd around me, but when he set down a plate of carrots with some ranch dressing on the side, I seriously couldn't have cared less that he hadn't been there, and I silently vowed that I would repay him in some way. "Tamaki, you're _amazing_," I sighed in relief, picking up a carrot and dipping it into some ranch dressing before biting into it.

"I wasn't sure if you liked ranch dressing or not, but with how you're eating, I guess I know," Tamaki chuckled, and one glance at him let me know he was blushing from the praise I had given him. I laughed to myself before Tamaki suddenly looked serious. "Tsuki-hime, you shouldn't have allowed yourself to get like this. If you were hungry, you should have said something earlier."

I sighed as I took another bite of ranch-covered carrot. "Look," I spoke after swallowing. "When I got here this afternoon, I had expected some time to snack on something or eat some lunch. However, the man who was going to fit my dress was already here, and I decided I could get that done with and then have something to snack on later. Then, nearly an hour after he was finished, something happened to my dress, and so we had to call him to come back to fit another one, which is what I'm wearing now. Then the maids who were tending me pulled and worked with my hair for two hours, changing the style when they didn't like how it was going, before finally settling on this one and doing my makeup. That whole process took over five hours. I was an hour late to my own 'Welcome Home' event, and I managed to forget that I was hungry after swiping a few baby carrots from the platter earlier. I haven't really had time to eat, what with meeting with all my father's business associates and prospective partners, singing for a little girl's amusement, and then dancing for an hour straight—mostly with creeps that I wouldn't want to be in the same _room_ with, let alone have _touch _me. So I'm sorry that I didn't have the chance to say I was hungry earlier. I thought the punch would hold me over; obviously, I thought wrong. I admit it was a reckless action on my part, and I will take the blame, but I really don't need to have someone lecture me. My own brain and body are doing enough of it already."

It was a testament to how hungry I was that I had just given a diatribe rather than simply saying I hadn't had time with all the proceedings. Tamaki looked shocked, and I expelled a heavy sigh as I picked up another carrot, dipped it in the ranch dressing, and bit into it. There was a tense silence as I chewed and swallowed; Tamaki's shock transformed into something akin to hurt. I winced and closed my eyes, resisting the urge to massage my temples. "I'm sorry, Tamaki. I get irritable when I'm hungry, and I tend to ramble," I murmured, worrying my lower lip between my teeth.

"Don't do that, Kiko-chan. You're going to make it bleed," Emiko warned, and I opened my eyes to see her smiling slightly at me. I immediately released my lip, smiling sheepishly at her before choosing to toy with a loose strand of hair. No one reprimanded me for that, so I assumed it was allowed.

I meekly glanced at Tamaki, who was smiling, but when he saw my glance, he laughed giddily, nearly pulling me out of my seat as he hugged me tightly. "You're so cu~ute, Tsuki-hime!" he exclaimed, a phrase I had come to hear often enough to know it wasn't hard to look cute in Tamaki's eyes. I futilely pushed against his chest to get him to release me, though I knew the likelihood he would understand my actions was very slim.

"Tamaki, please release Nakamura-san," Kyoya spoke absently, and when I was released, I glanced in his direction to see him writing in his notebook. Did he seriously carry that thing around _everywhere_?

When I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked away from the gray-eyed boy and up at my father. Since I didn't know what to do or say, I resorted to my natural defense mechanism. "Did you know that every time you pass out you lose valuable brain cells that will never reform?" I asked him, spouting a rather useless fact. My father smiled wryly and shook his head in reply. "Well, I just lost some. Stupid metabolism."

My father suddenly laughed, squeezing my shoulder in a gesture of affection. "That explains quite a bit about your mother then. She would pass out once every week or two when she was pregnant with you."

"Huh. You don't say," I mused, and though it was a horrible thing to do, I actually took the time to think it over. And I came to the conclusion that he was probably right.

"Uh, Tsuki-hime, I believe he was joking," Tamaki felt the need to point out, and I grinned at him.

"Oh, I know. But it seriously explains a lot. I never understood how someone like my mother managed a company before she was married," I told the blonde, shrugging.

My father chuckled while my friends (minus Takashi and Kyoya) looked uncertain as to how they should respond to such a comment. Takashi, who knew me better than Mitsukuni, had heard my curiosity on that subject before, and Kyoya never showed what he was really thinking, unless he was genuinely surprised by something. "Nakamura-san, I believe it would be in your best interest to stay the night here and go ahead up to a room, where you should eat and then get some rest. I do not typically condone leaving your own gathering early, but this is among the exceptions to that rule," Kyoya suddenly spoke, and I blinked in surprise. "You have not touched a bite of food in the past few minutes and are distracted by all the people here, which is not something you need right now."

I didn't have time to say anything to him since the others were instantly apologetic and my father immediately went to get someone to escort me upstairs to a clean room. I sighed under the onslaught, sending a glare Kyoya's way, and then closed my eyes, simply allowing all the noise in the room to mesh together until I was finally pulled out of my trance-like state by my father arriving with Nobuyuki (who had apparently gone somewhere, though those whereabouts were unknown to me). I was allowed to bid a quick farewell to my friends and all of them but Kyoya hugged me. Takashi (rather surprisingly to me) kissed the top of my head before he released me, which made me glad I had saved him for last; my face was blood red and I tried to let my hair shield it as I quickly walked away from them all. Even so, I still heard Emiko say something to Takashi about it, hearing the grin in her voice.

The moment we were out of eyesight, I allowed my posture to relax and even slightly slouch as I walked alongside the silent Nobuyuki. I was ready to get off my feet and into some relaxing nightclothes. Nobuyuki looked a little tired as well, and the fact that he was quiet spoke volumes to me. He had not walked silently beside me since I had arrived in Japan. Stifling a yawn, I asked softly, "Tanaka, do you ever take a day off?"

Nobuyuki looked over at me, his expression correctly indifferent. "All the staff is given days off," he answered simply.

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "I didn't ask if you were _given _time off; I asked if you _take _time off. With that answer, I'm willing to bet the answer is 'no.' I know you spend Sundays with your family, but if my father ever needs you, he can get in touch with you, and you'll cut that time short. I just think you may need some time off is all. You look tired – emotionally – and you need to see your family more than just a few hours each week. In fact, I think you four need to go on a vacation." It wasn't until after I said it that I realized to whom I was speaking, and I clapped a hand over my mouth, stopping in my tracks. "Oh, goodness, Tanaka, I'm sorry. It's none of my business what you do; just ignore my rambles."

Nobuyuki smiled genuinely at me, lightly squeezing my shoulder. "You're a good girl, Miss Tsuki, but you needn't worry about me. My family has served yours for years, and I had many years to spend with my girls and my wife before I took my father's place as butler. They understand what I do, and I always spend the important nights with them." I could hear the wealth of emotions in his voice as he spoke about his situation, and if I were prone to crying like some girls, I probably would have been bawling then. However, I was simply smiling fondly at the man. "Now, let's get you to your room for the evening. I have someone else's important girl to take care of."

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> Totally random, but this idea was inspired by _Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement_. For some reason, it was just on my brain (though I haven't seen it in years, lol) when I was writing that scene.

**(2)** Ah, the protective father look. I've always wanted to write that type of scene out since a lot of people overdo it or underplay it. I tried to go for a happy medium, so let me know if that was accomplished or not~?

**(3)** I don't know about you guys, but I have always adored Tamaki's sudden mood swings; he can go from being mature to a crybaby back to being mature in a matter of sixty seconds. XD I just love it!

**(4)** Do you guys know this song? It's by Mandy Moore, if not. It's really sweet, actually. It was really hard to choose for Tsuki to sing that song, considering I wanted it to be from her personal stash for the little girl to do the dance. Some other parties she does will have songs chosen for her, so I'll try to let you know which ones I'm dubbing as "hers" and I'll definitely tell you the version I'm using.

**(5) **I'm not sure how many chapters later it will be, but this type of reaction will happen again; more than likely it won't be anything that leaves an impression on her (i.e. - causes her to blush) until after she comes back to school from the summer break. And that could very well be the next time it happens, so we'll see~ Either way, I just want you guys to know she does appreciate Kyoya's good looks. C:

**(6) **So you guys aren't angst-ing about it: you'll find out the answer next chapter.

**(7)** I donno about you guys, but I seriously enjoy writing out the interactions between Kyoya and Tsuki. They're so mean to each other, but it's their chemistry; they'll always be like that. [/squee]

Ick. Another ending I'm not sure I like, but at the same time I kinda do. It's hard to explain. You'll learn why Tsuki nearly passed out later. :'D It's not just something random I threw in for drama's sake this one chapter. Tsuki's all the best/worst parts of my friends rolled into one. XD

Hopefully the next chapter will be done a lot quicker than this one was. I've missed writing this. X3 Anyway, as always, I would love it if you guys reviewed, even if it is only criticism. I mean, the review box is literally right below this, so it wouldn't be too hard to say "cool story, bro" or something, would it? (And yes, I did just say that. XD) Reviews just make me want to write more [/insert totally conspicuous cough here]! Thank you for reading! C:

**~DM **;)


	6. Lights

_Disclaimer: If I had created OHSHC, Kyoya's character would have never had the possibility of being missing because of ten lucky pages._

Hello, again, m'dears~ c: I have finally finished chapter six for you! And let me tell you, this was one of the most difficult chapters I've written thus far because I wasn't sure what all I wanted to happen in it. So it's probably not going to be as good as the last chapter; this is also the time when I realized I still have so many chapters to go before I can even begin to have the episodes' chapters start! That put a slight damper on my writing since I'm ready to write those chapters, but before I can work on them, I have quite a bit to get through, ne~?

Now, I have to say, wow! I was _so_ excited to see so many reviews on my last chapter! I mean, I was giddy with excitement~ I couldn't stop giggling like a schoolgirl. :'D I was loving it _that_ much! So, thank you to my newest reviewers: **ivyfedora**, **angel2u**, **Rose in the Permafrost**, **Thexinfernalxgames**, **xelainatx**, and **Hilary** (who was a guest)!

**angel2u **asked some questions that actually had to make me think~ The one that didn't was the question about Haruhi; yes, Tsuki will be there when Haruhi shows up, _but_ it will be after club hours on a day in between the first and second episodes. Since she's going to know Haruhi is a girl, it just seemed like it would be easier to bring her in after the rest of the hosts had found out so it didn't screw up the episodes. ^_~ As for the little girl in the last chapter: Kurisa had not originally been a major character. However, after discussing her with one of my friends, we figured out something that could be done to have her show up more often. I'm not telling you what just yet, so you'll have to wait~**  
><strong>

And for those of you who have a good eye, you may have noticed the chapters now have titles! That would be because I _finally_ found song titles I thought would reflect them~ (That was my original intention, but I could never find ones that were good enough.) So, if you're curious about the first five chapters, they are (in order): "Like Other Girls" by Atomic Kitten; "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban; "Rockstar" by Hannah Montana; "Crush" by Mandy Moore; and "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" by Doris Day. They don't entirely reflect everything going on in the chapters, but they do reflect the high points. (The Hannah Montana song was the one that totally crushed my soul to use, but it works well enough to where I put personal feelings aside and just went for it. If you have any suggestions for the third chapter that would be better, I am all eyes/ears!)

This chapter's title is "Lights" by Ellie Goulding~ If you haven't heard it (or have heard it and are confused), I will explain at the end what its importance is!

Now that I've wasted plenty of your time, let's get this party started!

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter vi<strong>_

"What?! The narrator killed him?! B-b-but I don't see how!" Tamaki exclaimed, flailing around. "He didn't even show signs of being the killer!"

Rolling my eyes, I took the book from him and rifled through the first few chapters before pointing out several different problems with the narrative. "See, here, he has a rather vague way of explaining things. He suddenly goes from basically explaining every move made to simply summarizing the end of their discussion. He ensures that Parker doesn't bother Akcroyd, as well; he also tries to make it seem as though Parker looks suspicious, and when he thinks Parker may have been eavesdropping, he gets a little too hateful. Unlike the other phone calls he has, he doesn't detail what the other person says while talking to him here. As Poirot reveals later, he's the only one who has a time discrepancy in the time it takes to walk from the door to the gate. He also gets rather jumpy and sends people off on another scent whenever it seems like someone's getting too close to figuring out it was him. And then he seems to have a rather odd obsession with helping Poirot with the case. I assumed that last bit was so he could try to keep Poirot from suspecting him."

Glancing up from the book, I quirked a brow at the blonde. "Do you see it now?"

Tamaki was still sputtering and flailing around, not wanting to believe it. "I just... why would someone have the narrator do it, Tsuki-hime?!" he wailed, and I sighed as I felt a headache coming on.

"Agatha Christie made it that way because it didn't fit the standard. Back then, it was commonly known that there should be a trusted narrator. She went out of those parameters to make a mystery where not many people would realize who the murderer was. I, personally, thought it was a brilliant idea. This is probably one of my favorite mystery novels," I answered, handing him his book back. "Though I have to say, Tamaki, that you're cutting it rather close by just now finishing it. We have our test on it next class period."

Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say since he flailed around. "Eehhhh?! We have a test on it?!"

I let my head fall forward onto my desk with a soft _thwump._ Our teacher had been talking about this test for _days_. What had Tamaki been doing during class? He hadn't been this scatterbrained in the couple weeks I'd been attending Ouran Academy. "Jeez, Tamaki, where's your brain?" I mumbled beneath my breath, knowing he wouldn't hear me since he was too busy freaking out about the test. I honestly didn't know what was going on with Tamaki, but whatever it was, it needed to be remedied.

"Tamaki, will you be quiet? You are bothering Nakamura-san."

I lifted my head at the sound of Kyoya's voice. "When did you get here?" I asked incredulously. He hadn't been there for the first two class periods. I had actually been expecting not to have a tutoring session that evening if he hadn't shown up. We'd had one the prior week, as well as the day before, so it would be our third session. I had a feeling he wasn't going to let us meet at my place, though; his trip the last week had been rather...eventful, to say the least. I had known the moment he walked into the penthouse that he was not amused. He hadn't said anything about it, but he'd been in a horrid mood the whole evening.

Kyoya quirked a brow and propped back against his desk. "Obviously, just now." I didn't expect any more information from him on the subject, so I simply nodded. "Now, Nakamura-san, as for our tutoring session this evening—I was thinking it would be easier to move it to my place. If it's too much of a hassle for you to try and get home that late, we can always prepare a guest room for you."

I found myself staring at him incredulously. "I'm sorry, Ootori-san, but...did you _really _just invite me to stay over at your house?" I briefly wondered if I may have questioned that a bit too loudly, but that honestly didn't bother me. "Have you ever thought that maybe I could go to my dad's place?"

Kyoya's pleasant expression went flat, and he stood up straight. "I was simply being hospitable, Nakamura-san. I do not know the situation with your father, or if he's even in town right now. It was an alternative solution for you, should you need it."

I probably should have felt bad for making him feel like he needed to defend himself, especially since I knew it wasn't really Kyoya offering the idea. In fact, if I were being honest, that was probably the reason the news hadn't gone so well. "Even if my father were out of town, it would not change the possibility of my going to his place to stay," I pointed out, ensuring my voice was at least slightly kinder than it had been before. "However, I definitely will not be going back to my place tonight. It would be too far to walk, and quite unsafe for a girl like me that late at night."

Kyoya's expression changed slightly, becoming the polite mask he seemed to adopt quite often around me still. "A girl like you? I can only assume you're speaking of the one who has to keep up appearances." I could hear the slight undertone of amusement in his voice, but what I heard the most was what sounded like exhaustion. I peered at him, cocking my head. From where I was, he didn't _look_ all that tired.

"I can't earn a reputation for beating up men. My mother would flip out, and I'd be sent right back to America. I'm not quite ready to head back there." If at all. I loved my mother; really, I did. But that place we lived in was simply not my real home. I wasn't accepted there like I was here. And people had finally started branching out at least slightly to talk to me. It was...amazing, for lack of better word. I was always giddy when someone else would start talking to me. I had never been one to have a lack of friends because I enjoyed being around people so much. Except for that one period of time where I pulled away from everyone but a select few, I had always tried to put myself out there to talk to new people.

"Kyoyaaaa, Tsuki-hime's not listening to meeee," Tamaki's whine broke through my thoughts, and I blinked, looking over to see that Tamaki was slumped against Kyoya's desk, and the black-haired boy was seated.

Heaving a soft sigh, I spoke, "I'm sorry, Tamaki. I was just thinking about something. What was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Tamaki spun around, his face brightening, and he opened his mouth to answer when Mr. Kobayashi arrived. With a slight pout, the blonde boy seated himself, and Mr. Kobayashi started explaining the procedure for our test.

* * *

><p>With a groan, I allowed myself to fall backwards, my back hitting the floor. "Ne, Ootori-san, can we take a break?" I queried, rubbing at my eyes. We had already gotten two chapters done, and since we had some extra time, he wanted to go over another one. I was tired of staring at my German book. But that wasn't the only reason I wanted a break. My stomach growled at the same time I murmured, "I'm hungry."<p>

Kyoya sighed softly, moving into a standing position. He stretched slightly before he started walking, and I immediately scrambled up, following after him while resisting the urge to stretch. I'd learned enough about Kyoya to know his actions were sometimes the only thing you had to go by, and these were more obvious than most of his other ones. I followed along behind him silently, taking note of where we were headed, just in case I needed to know it later, for whatever reason.

I blinked when we walked into the kitchen; no one was in there but a female who looked to be in her twenties. She also definitely wasn't dressed like a staff member. "Fuyumi?" Kyoya spoke, sounding as surprised as I was.

The black-haired woman started and turned around; the moment I saw the gray eyes framed in her face, I found myself staring incredulously. I shifted my gaze to Kyoya and then back to the woman—Fuyumi, he had called her. I could only assume she was his sister.

"What are you doing here?" Kyoya asked, his brows furrowing.

Fuyumi frowned, though her voice was a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "It's great to see you again, too, Kyoya," she muttered. Her gaze shifted to me, and she blinked as if she'd just noticed I was there. "Oh? Who's this, Kyoya?" There was a note in her voice that I had heard before, and I sincerely hoped Kyoya knew what it was.

"Nakamura Tsukiko. She's in my class, and she asked for help with German. She was getting hungry, and—"

"Oh my goodness, look at how big you've gotten!" Fuyumi exclaimed, and it wasn't until she rushed towards me and hugged me that I knew she was talking to me. I went rigid, looking at Kyoya with wide eyes. He looked as surprised as I did, which probably explained why he didn't sound nearly as controlled as he usually did when he stopped her.

"Fuyumi! What are you _doing_?" he hissed.

Fuyumi seemed to realize there was something wrong, for she released me and backed up a few steps, looking from Kyoya to me and back. "I just...does she not remember me?"

I found myself tugging on a strand of my hair, unsure of what to do. "Um...I'm sorry. Did we meet while I was on tour or something?" If we had, I'd seriously feel bad for not remembering.

Fuyumi's brows furrowed and she shook her head. "No. I'm talking about before…" She stopped whatever train of thought she had before deciding on saying something else. "You...you really don't remember, do you?" She turned to look at Kyoya, frowning. "She doesn't remember me."

Kyoya spared a glance at me, and the short look was enough for me to know he was as confused by his sister's words as I was. "Fuyumi," he started, his voice controlled again. "I think you're mistaken. Nakamura-san has never met anyone but our father, and even then that was only last week because of the event to welcome her home."

Fuyumi looked like she was going to say something in protest, but her expression suddenly changed to sadness, and she seemed to admit defeat. "I guess I'm not remembering the right girl, then," she mumbled, but the way she said it made me believe she was still firm in her belief that she'd met me before. **(1) **Nonetheless, I was going to rack my brain until I either remembered or got too frustrated to continue trying.

"Nakamura-san, what were you wanting to eat?" Kyoya queried, and I blinked over at him.

"...popcorn?" I ventured to ask after a slight hesitation, only allowing the slightest bit of hope in my voice. I wasn't sure if they would keep a stock of something like popcorn, since it wasn't exactly "classy" food. It was more of a "commoner" thing, actually.

Kyoya's face shifted slightly into an expression I couldn't describe, and he shifted his head to let the light glare off his glasses. "You actually eat that stuff?"

"Kyoya!" Fuyumi admonished, even though his question hadn't offended me. I had expected that response, honestly. "That is no way to treat a guest!" Turning to me, she smiled. "Don't worry; we do have popcorn. I like it, too."

I simply nodded as she walked away to go and get the popcorn, and my gaze shifted back to Kyoya. "Uh, is your sister always like this when you have girls over?"

Kyoya lowered his head so I could see his eyes again, and he blinked at me. "I wouldn't know since I don't often have girls over," he replied, and I took that to mean I was probably the first girl in a very long time to be at his house—and more than likely probably the first one to be over this late.

"Huh. I guess most girls would be too afraid to approach you for help in a class. You're probably known to be very intimidating, and then you're one of the host club members, so they'd probably try and stumble across their words and just end up annoying you, which in turn would make them stop talking and apologize as they give up—and since they know that's how it would end up, they just don't even try." As I finished speaking, I nodded to myself.

Kyoya quirked a brow at me. "That's a rather large hypothetical situation."

I laughed and glanced sidelong at him. "Well, maybe it's not _entirely_ hypothetical," I hedged with a grin, and I saw him shake his head with a slight smirk. **(2)**

"Here you go!" Fuyumi suddenly exclaimed, and my attention was suddenly jerked her way. She seemed to be eyeing us intently at that moment, and I will admit that I was suddenly afraid of what she might say. "Did I interrupt something?" the raven-haired woman queried, that note from before back in her voice.

"No, our conversation was basically over," I replied, shrugging. "Why?" I knew she was crestfallen that something didn't seem to be happening between Kyoya and me, but I honestly didn't understand _why_ she seemed to want something to happen so badly.

"No reason," Fuyumi answered, and it was such a painfully obvious lie that I truly felt bad for her as she walked over to the two microwaves and proceeded to open the box of popcorn she'd brought out. It was oddly quiet as she placed one bag in each microwave (after taking off the cellophane wrapper of course) and set the cook time before pressing the "start" button. Turning around, she looked at us with a smile. "So is this your first tutoring session?"

I smiled back and shook my head. "No, this is the third one. We met yesterday at a local café, and then we met last week at my place. It's rather far out, though, so Ootori-san suggested we move our Monday meetings to here."

Fuyumi blinked, looking over at Kyoya. "She's already been here for nearly a month, and you're still making her call you by your last name?" **(3)**

"He's not _making_ me call him by any name," I interjected before Kyoya had to defend himself. "I simply thought it was more respectful to call him 'Ootori-san' since he's never given me permission to call him 'Kyoya.' It's not like we really know each other all that well, anyway."

The beeping of one microwave, quickly followed by the other one, signaled the end of our discussion—which I was honestly grateful for. The look on Fuyumi's face said she'd wanted to make an objection, but she kept silent as she turned around and grabbed a rather large bowl. I blinked as she poured both bags of popcorn into the one bowl, and she turned around and handed it to me. "It's the Kettle Corn type of popcorn; I hope that's okay," Fuyumi murmured, seeming suddenly crestfallen for some reason.

"Oh. Um, thank you very much..." I trailed off since I didn't know what to call her.

"Just call me Fuyumi. It's the only name I know to answer to anymore," she spoke, though I was _almost_ sure she was joking. "Well, don't let me keep you two any longer. If you're going to get anymore studying done, it needs to be done soon."

Kyoya didn't move just yet, so I stayed put, tossing some pieces of popcorn into my mouth. I nearly moaned at the taste, but I managed not to; it wasn't like I was _that_ much of a glutton. I simply appreciated foods, particularly snacks and sweets. "Nakamura-san, are you planning on staying at your father's?"

I blinked before groaning, wishing I could slam my head against something. "Ah, hell, I completely forgot! I didn't even grab my clothes for tomorrow; damn it!" It was a matter of how frustrated I was with myself that I didn't even think to censor my words.

Surprisingly, both Kyoya and Fuyumi basically ignored it, and Kyoya addressed his sister. "Do you think you could check to see if that room was prepared for Nakamura-san? I would think she may need some nightclothes, as well."

"Wait, no, there's no need for that! I can just call Hiroshi and have him give me a ride home," I countered. More than likely, I would have ended up just staying with him, but it was better than staying at Kyoya's. It would just be weird, and if I showed up at school with him the next day, it would just make people start talking.

"Nonsense!" Fuyumi admonished, already starting to move past me. "There's no need to do all that when you're already here, especially if we already have a room ready for you. I'm sure we can get you a uniform in your size for tomorrow, and finding something for you to sleep in won't be any trouble."

"B-but!" I sputtered, whirling around to go after her, but Kyoya stepped in front of me. "You two can't be serious!"

Kyoya simply pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "Of course we're serious, Nakamura-san. We would be considered inhospitable if we couldn't do something this simple for a guest. Now, come on. We need to get back to your tutoring session." He turned on his heel and started walking; since I knew I wouldn't be able to navigate out of his house without assistance, I sighed and—throwing some more popcorn in my mouth—followed after him.

* * *

><p>"Nakamura-san, since you seem to be incapable of paying attention any longer, we should call this session to a close." Kyoya sounded slightly annoyed, but he mostly sounded tired.<p>

I frowned as I munched on some more popcorn. "I'm sorry, Ootori-san. It's just hard to keep focused right now." By that I meant because I was too worried about the fact that I was being accommodated to stay in the Ootori household; it was really hard to care about studying information I already knew when I was worrying about something like that.

Closing the book, Kyoya picked it up and put it in his bag for the next day. "It is getting rather late; I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose yet again, Kyoya turned to face me. "Shall I escort you to your room?"

I didn't answer him as I studied him for a long moment. He simply waited, unperturbed. "You may. OFn the condition that you eat at least two pieces of this popcorn."

"I don't particularly like sweets, Nakamura-san," he stated flatly, and I rolled my eyes.

"I know you don't, Ootori-san; you said as much the other day during club hours when you thought no one was listening. But have you ever tried Kettle Corn popcorn from a box? It's not the same as the yummy, sweet kind you find at the carnivals." Holding the bowl up, I waved it slightly. "Come on; just try two pieces. It's not like I'm asking you to eat an entire slice of cake or something. It's just popcorn." I paused and smirked. "And I'm not ready to believe your palate can't stand it since it's not expensive." Kyoya stood there, unmoving, so I tried the only other thing I knew. "Have you ever tried it before? You can't say you don't like it if you haven't at least tried it."

Finally, he reached down and picked two pieces of popcorn up between his fingers. He brought the popcorn to his lips, pausing momentarily before parting them and placing the popcorn delicately into his mouth. His expression shifted into surprised wonderment before he started chewing the pieces of popcorn. It was only after he swallowed that he looked down at me, his mouth set in a way that told me he wasn't looking forward to his next words. "It wasn't that bad." **(4)**

Grinning, I stood—popcorn bowl still in hand—and motioned with my free hand. "Well, a deal's a deal. Lead the way, Ootori-san~" I chirped. I wasn't really tired, but Kyoya looked like he could fall asleep standing up, honestly. I followed the youngest Ootori through the house, smiling as we finally stopped at a door after heading down a few hallways.

"This guest room is closest to my room; I'm a couple doors down. Tachibana will be out here if you have any problems," Kyoya explained, rather shortly I thought. But I simply nodded and turned to open the door. "Goodnight, Nakamura-san."

I smiled at him over my shoulder. "Thank you, Ootori-san; this wasn't necessary for you to do, and I really appreciate it. Goodnight to you, as well," I bade before I walked into the guest room and closed it. The room wasn't really anything all that grand; it was mostly stuff I was used to. Fancy bedding, nice furniture, a nice television, and a closet. Setting the popcorn bowl down on the nightstand, I looked back at the bed to see that a rather large sweatshirt and some shorts lay at the end of it. It didn't take me long to change, and I giggled as I looked at myself in the mirror. The cream-colored sweatshirt actually fit like normal across my torso, but it was long enough to hit my mid-thighs and practically covered up the black cloth shorts. The arms of the sweatshirt were also hanging past my hands, and it just made it painfully obvious that the clothes were not mine.

I turned around and started searching the room for something to do for the next few hours. It didn't take me long to find some random book that sounded interesting, and I settled down on the bed to read it. A few hours later, I glanced over at the clock to see that it was nearly two in the morning, and that momentary distraction caused me to realize I was thirsty. Biting down on my lower lip, I closed the book and ventured to poke my head out of the door to the guest room. As Kyoya had said, there was a man stationed in the hallway, but before I could ask him to get me something, I noticed there was light spilling out from under one of the doors.

Blinking, I opened the door further and walked out into the hallway. Tachibana looked over at me, and I flashed him a quick smile and a nod as I moved past him, heading towards what I assumed was Kyoya's room. He simply nodded back to me, and I figured it was fine to bother the youngest Ootori. I knocked on his door before turning the knob and heard Kyoya's voice say, "Tachibana, I understand your concern, but I'll go to sleep soon."

I quirked a brow as I took a step into his room and closed the door behind me. "Shall I give Tachibana your message, Ootori-san?" I teased lightly as I walked the few more steps into his room so I was in his line of vision. Kyoya looked up from a desk, obviously surprised to see me. His gaze lingered on me before he suddenly pushed himself up into a standing position, and then he frowned at me.

"Is there something wrong with your room?" Kyoya queried, and I was sure if I had said there was and hadn't even given him a reason, he would've told someone to prepare a different room—even at two in the morning.

I smiled softly at him and shook my head. "My room is perfect, Ootori-san; I even found a book worth reading. I was simply thirsty, and when I opened my door to ask Tachibana to get me a glass of water, I saw your light was on, and I didn't know if you'd fallen asleep with it on or if you were still awake. Imagine my surprise to find you still awake; did you know it's past two?"

Kyoya glanced at the clock, as if to confirm my words, and his brows furrowed. "No, actually, I did not." I took it as a testament to his being so tired that his emotions were being so blatantly expressed.

"What could possibly be so important that you're losing sleep for it?" I questioned, taking a few steps closer so I could look at the stuff on his desk. The notebook he typically carried around was open on it, but I didn't want to invade his privacy by reading it, so I looked back up at him. "Ootori-san, you need some sleep. You've sounded exhausted all day, and you honestly look horrible right now." I didn't see any reason to beat around the bush, so I was simply blatantly honest with him.

Kyoya's control had slipped enough that he actually made a face at me, and I stifled back a giggle. "Look, whatever it is, you can work on it tomorrow, Ootori-san. If I come back out of my room in an hour and you're still awake, I'm going to call Tamaki and have him bring reinforcements. So get to sleep." Turning around, I started to walk away from him. "Goodnight. Again."

Kyoya's tone had a mixture of amusement, exhaustion, and something unidentifiable as he murmured, "Goodnight, Nakamura-san. For real, this time."

* * *

><p>"Ne, Ootori-san, why are you guys using cherry blossom petals?" I queried, frowning over at the gray-eyed boy. It was Thursday, and it was one of my days to help out the host club. Today, I just so happened to be going through the accounts in an effort to find out what they could cut back on or add in to gain more money.<p>

Kyoya sighed softly, looking up from his notebook. "Tamaki," he answered simply, and I found myself laughing softly. "He wanted to add some dramatic flair to the opening of the doors during club hours, and those were what he suggested."

"But they're so expensive, especially when they're not in season. Why don't you guys change it to rose petals, and then simply transfer the activities outside when the cherry blossoms are blooming during the spring? It would save you a lot of money, and you guys could have different-colored roses to represent you. I bet the girls would go crazy over seeing you boys add a rose or something to your uniform every so often," I explained, tapping the capped end of a pen on the books in front of me.

Kyoya quickly pulled up his computer and started doing something on it, and so I looked back down at the accounts thoughtfully. A sudden idea occurred to me, and I snapped my fingers. "Did you ever think of auctioning off or selling items?" **(5)** Kyoya stopped in the midst of his typing to look over at me, a puzzled expression on his face. "You could get stuff that the host club has used or compile photo albums or... _something_. I think merchandise would truly help the business. Though I would advise against anything that's not a still, candid photograph. Any videos could start to cause problems, especially if you taped something you shouldn't have and a copy gets stolen or leaked."

A small smile curled Kyoya's lips. "You seem to have a knack for this, Nakamura-san. I assume these skills you possess come from your father's business?"

I shrugged slightly. "I suppose, yes. But I've always been able to think up solutions like that. Whether or not people believed me enough to enact those solutions is a different story," I answered dryly, shifting my gaze back to the notebook. "Thank you for the compliment, though."

"Hm. Thank you for your help. Those ideas will certainly increase our profits. Of course, the difficult part will be talking Tamaki into giving up his cherry blossom petals," Kyoya murmured, but I could still hear the dread in his voice as he spoke about that interaction.

"I'll talk to him for you. I've seen how you handle club business, Ootori-san, and I have to say I don't think your ways of conducting it will benefit you in this particular task. Besides, he's more likely to accept it from me since I'm a girl. I can pitch it to where it's more like a customer standpoint than a profitable one." I decided I could at least give the guy a break from dealing with Tamaki, especially since I knew I could get it done a lot more quickly and easily than Kyoya could. "Excuse me for a moment."

Kyoya simply watched me as I stood and made my way over to Tamaki's table. It didn't take long for the girls at the table to notice me and smile, directing their attention from the blonde "prince" over to me. Since it went quiet, I figured it was perfectly fine for me to speak. "Ne, Tamaki, I just had an idea for the host club~ Ootori-san already approved it, too!"

Tamaki turned around with a charming smile and cocked his head. "Oh? And what idea is that, Tsuki-hime~?" he asked softly.

"Well, you know how you guys use cherry blossom petals for the doorway right now? I was thinking you should start using rose petals, instead, because then each host could have his own color of a rose. I think it would add more of an appeal to all the guys if they could have roses pinned to their blazers during club activities. You would have the red rose, of course, Tamaki, since you're the Princely Type~" I chirped. I wasn't sure what other colors would work for the rest, but I could figure that out later, if Tamaki agreed. "You guys could even give roses to the girls! I'm sure all of us would love it. Right~?" I turned my attention to the girls seated around Tamaki, and they all nodded before clamoring to give their input.

Tamaki was suddenly out of his seat and hugging me tightly, rambling about how sweet it was for me to think of the customers. I struggled to try and get out of his grip, but the more I struggled, the tighter he hugged me and the faster his rambling became. "T-Tamaki, please let go of me," I sighed, pushing against his chest. This was seriously getting ridiculous; maybe it was high time I had a talk with him. He hadn't seemed like he was starting to develop any real feelings for me, but he was becoming a bit too touchy with me. I at least needed to get him to stop hugging me like this.

"Tama-chan, let Tsuki-chan go!" I heard Mitsukuni yell. Tamaki paid no heed to it; I honestly wondered if he'd even heard the younger boy.

It wasn't even a moment later that I found myself squeaking as I was pulled out of Tamaki's tight grip and settled softly on my feet. I frowned as I rubbed at my sides, wincing as my hands ran over some slightly sore spots. "Jeez, Tamaki, that hurt," I mumbled before I turned around to look at the person who'd picked me up. It wasn't a surprise to see Takashi. I smiled, cocking my head. "Thank you, Takashi~" I figured it wouldn't be too awkward to give him a quick hug, so I wrapped my arms around his mid-torso. "This seems to happen a little too often, though, I think." Which was true; as much as I enjoyed being picked up or helped out by Takashi, it was starting to get a little embarrassing having him help me constantly. Releasing him, I made my way back to Kyoya so that the rest of the club time would be at least slightly normal. The hosts went back to their normal antics, though some of the customers seemed to be distracted by what had happened, their low murmurs reverberating through the room.

"Sorry, Ootori-san, I didn't mean to make a scene. But it sounds like he's on board for the rose substitution. You can talk to him about taking club activities outside a couple times during the spring for next year," I sighed, massaging my temple.

Kyoya's voice sounded amused as he answered. "No need to apologize. The customers will love thinking there's some sort of love triangle going on with you, Tamaki, and Mori-senpai. It'll be good for profits, as well, as long as it doesn't stretch on forever."

I made a face at him. "I'm not going to be dragged into the affairs of the host club like that, Ootori-san. It's bad enough as it is. Besides, I'm waiting on—" I cut myself off with a slight blush before I could finish that sentence. The last thing I needed to do was tell Kyoya of my proposition to Takashi. It would just make me sound desperate, even though I really wasn't. I just knew Takashi well enough to understand that I had to pitch the idea properly to get it to even possibly happen.

"Oh, things are finally getting somewhere with you and Mori-senpai? Then I feel it's my duty to inform you of the delicacy of that type of situation. You may very well end up becoming a slight...show for our customers." He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as I frowned at him, confused as to what he meant. "To put it simply, they enjoy public displays of affection. If they cannot see the bond between Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai, then they're going to expect to see it between Mori-senpai and you." He tilted his head up slightly to create the glare over his glasses again. "I typically would not condone such a thing, but this might make our customers feel as though we hosts are more approachable. If they feel that way, then it will bring in more customers, and we can possibly start doing more on location club activities."

I sighed, letting my head slump down onto the table in front of me. "So glad I could help, Ootori-san," I muttered. Kyoya simply chuckled and set to work writing in his notebook; no doubt he was coming up with even more plans that would ultimately make me and others miserable—ass.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, but you want to do <em>what<em>?" I queried, quirking a brow at the six males in front of me.

"Tama-chan wants to have a sleepover~" Mitsukuni chirped, grinning happily as he hugged on Usa-chan. "We talked about it yesterday after you left, but we wanted you to come, too! You could even invite Hiro-chan, Emi-chan, and Momo-chan!"

With a soft sigh, I pushed a hand through my brown locks. It was a Friday night, after club hours, and—surprisingly—I didn't have anything planned. However, I knew the only one out of my friends who even _might_ be available was Hiroshi. Even that was stretching it. Besides, this way I would be able to spend some time with the host club under a friendly atmosphere; if Hiroshi was there, I would be too busy hanging out with him instead of hanging out with the others. That just didn't seem like something I should do, just because I wasn't entirely comfortable with all six guys standing in front of me. "All right, fine. I'll come with you guys. But do you think we could stop by a store or two so I can find some clothes to wear tonight and tomorrow?" I sure as hell wasn't going to run around in a yellow dress all evening and day.

"Yay~!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, jumping forward and latching onto my arm. "And of course we'll stop and get you some clothes~ We even know the best place!"

I blinked and cocked my head before looking at the others. "Where is that?"

"Our house, of course!" the twins piped up.

"Don't worry, Tsuki-senpai," Hikaru spoke with a grin.

"We've got you covered!" Kaoru agreed, and they both moved towards me and put their arms across my shoulders.

I sighed softly and shook my head, starting to walk out of the club room with my bag on one arm, Mitsukuni on the other, and the Hitachiin twins escorting me. "That's right; your mother's a really well-known fashion designer, isn't she?" I queried, looking up at them in turn. "Are you sure she'll have the right clothes in my size, though? I don't want to put her out."

Hikaru and Kaoru shared a grin before they nuzzled my head. "You're so sweet, Tsuki-senpai!" They both laughed before they fastened their pace slightly.

"But really, she'll have several choices in your size," Kaoru answered.

"And even if she doesn't have what you like in those sizes, she can easily alter one for you," Hikaru added.

Mitsukuni felt the need to chip in as well. "Hika-chan and Kao-chan are right, Tsuki-chan~ So stop worrying about it!"

In a rare act of defeat, I allowed myself to slightly slump forward, continuing to walk and letting the other three direct me as they conversed with the group following closely behind us. It must have looked really weird, seeing a famous singer with three boys surrounding her and another three following very closely behind. After all, I was the only one who wasn't actually a member of the host club, even if my presence was typically expected. Thus far I hadn't been helping or visiting the host club every day after school; I couldn't very well just ditch my other friends for this group of guys. But Kyoya had already told me that even if the only day I could get to the clubs was on Friday, then so be it—but Fridays were a must since that was the day I would sing one or two songs for the guests, depending on my mood. Kyoya had already claimed that day for the host club, and so I typically spent most of my Friday afternoons and evenings with the group of guys escorting me out of Ouran Academy at that moment.

"Hey, we're taking Tsuki-senpai with us!" the twins suddenly exclaimed, picking me up so that my arm slipped out of Mitsukuni's grip. They didn't even give me time to register what was going on before they half-dragged, half-carried me over to the limo waiting outside.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?!" I yelped, unsure if I really wanted to spend any amount of a car ride alone with the Hitachiins.

"Ah, quit your complaining, Tsuki-senpai; it'll be fun!" Kaoru retorted, poking my forehead before he and Hikaru forced me into the car. I was suddenly sandwiched between the twins, ensuring my escape would be impossible, even though I wouldn't have tried anyway since the vehicle had started moving the moment the door closed.

"Do you guys _mind_?" I managed to snap, trying to push them away from me. "This isn't exactly comfortable; you're hurting me!"

Though the twins were known to be pranksters and mischievous, they were not true sadists; that much was obvious when they quickly moved away from me to allow me some space. "We're sorry," they murmured, frowning.

"We just didn't want you to try and escape," Hikaru added.

I sighed, closing my eyes as my hands came up to massage my temples. "I know you didn't, but that was a bit much. I'm still sore from where Tamaki wouldn't let go of me yesterday," I muttered, rubbing at my sides. The twins were quiet, and I looked up at them in turn before heaving a soft sigh. "I'm sorry. I suppose I could have handled that a bit better..." I mumbled, looking away from them with a slightly embarrassed blush burning my face and ears.

An arm slinked around my shoulders, and I heard Hikaru say, "No hard feelings, Tsuki-senpai."

A different arm snaked around my torso as Kaoru added, "Yeah, there's no need to apologize."

A glance up at them had them smirking as they both added, "But that blush was kind of worth it."

I scowled and rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. "You two should have let me get in the seat like a normal person, anyway," I muttered. They simply snickered in response, and I just knew they were sharing a look over my head. Deciding I could at least try to make the best of it, I leaned back into a relaxed position and let my head fall back against the seat. I could more easily see the twins in that position, but I chose to close my eyes. To my surprise, the twins went to talking in murmurs and let me be, and I found a small smile forming on my lips. They really weren't so bad.

* * *

><p>I heaved a sigh as I looked down at the clothes I had just put on. They were rather simplistic but were definitely not my style. For one, they were lacey and silk. They were also mostly pink, with some baby blue thrown in as a tie for the shorts and as the threading for the hem. It wasn't that they weren't cute—because they were—but they felt weird. A pair of silk shorts and a button up silk short-sleeve top was not something I was used to. Thankfully, the Hitachiins' mother had given me a baby blue camisole to wear under it, so I was able to unbutton the top button without feeling awkward.<p>

I glanced in the mirror one last time before grabbing up my school uniform and putting it in the bag I had kept the pajamas in. I then proceeded to open the door of the bathroom and start my trek down the hallway. I was nearing one of the Ootoris' few "common rooms"—where we had several futons laid out to accommodate us all—when I heard Mitsukuni's voice. "...find Usa-chan!" The tone gave me enough warning to know he was upset, and with those words, I knew he'd lost his pink bunny somewhere. I picked up my pace and entered the room to find Tamaki trying to console Mitsukuni while the twins and Takashi looked around. Kyoya was off to the side with his arms crossed.

None of them had noticed my return yet, so I took the time to put the bag I was holding with the other bag that held my clothes for tomorrow. I then proceeded over to Mitsukuni. "Ne, Tamaki, why don't you help the others find Usa-chan?" I suggested, not even making a noise as Mitsukuni turned and clung to me, whimpering about his bunny. I pet his hair soothingly while Tamaki ran off to join the search. "Do you remember where you last had him, Mitsukuni?" I asked softly, and the blonde boy sniffled.

"I know I left him in the car when we went to Hikaru and Kaoru's house," Mitsukuni answered, which didn't help all that much, but it did tell me the stuffed bunny had been with him when he got here.

Looking over my shoulder, I found the onyx-eyed boy and caught his gaze. "Takashi, did you bring Usa-chan in when you guys got out of the car?" The black-haired male took a moment to think before he shook his head. "Ah. I think I know where Usa-chan is, then." I looked over at Kyoya and cocked my head. "Ne, Ootori-san, do you think you can get someone to call the Haninozuka estate and ask them to bring Usa-chan over here?"

"He doesn't have to do that, Tsuki-chan~" Mitsukuni chirped, and I blinked at the odd mood swing. "As long as I know Usa-chan is okay, it's fine~"

I frowned slightly, biting down on my lower lip. "But I thought you couldn't sleep without him."

Mitsukuni giggled cutely, letting go of me so he could twirl around. "I'll just have to use you, Tsuki-chan~ You can sleep between me and Takashi!" Had I not been so surprised, I'm sure I would have choked out some sort of response. But I honestly had not been expecting such a statement, so all I could manage was to stare at my friend incredulously as a blush crept up my neck and stole into my face. Mitsukuni giggled again, smiling cutely with his eyes closed.

I couldn't bring myself to look at anyone at that moment, especially since it was so quiet in the room. I ended up coughing once, feeling extremely awkward as I spoke softly, "So...when's dinner?"

The twins started laughing, and I felt a pair of hands ruffling my hair. "Tsuki-senpai, you sure can be cute sometimes," they both commented around laughs. I looked up at them both and made a face to show just what I thought of that statement, but they simply laughed more.

"Nakamura-san, dinner will be ready shortly, but if you are hungry, I am sure we can find you something to hold you over until then," Kyoya spoke before I could say anything to the Hitachiins.

Blinking, I looked over at him—to find he was still standing where he had been with his arms crossed. "Oh, there's no need for all that, Ootori-san. I was just curious," I answered, shrugging with a smile. I started to direct my attention to Tamaki (who had been way too silent for what I was used to) when I realized something Kyoya had said, and I frowned slightly. "But wait—it will be _ready_ shortly? Then why did you guys tell me to change into my pajamas?"

"Because they're cute~" Mitsukuni chirped, directing my attention to him. "Besides, we're gonna eat in here, so you don't have to worry about being all formal about it~"

I sighed and resisted the urge to slump slightly. This was ridiculous. "So what are we doing until dinner?"

"Well, Tama-chan is the one who wanted to have the sleepover..." Mitsukuni answered, looking over at the other blonde male.

I shifted my gaze to the younger blonde as well, waiting for him to explain (especially since he'd been quiet for so long). "Oh, I thought we'd just do, you know, normal sleepover things!" Tamaki exclaimed, smiling brightly at me.

I blinked at him, quirking a brow. "Such as...?"

"I thought you would know," Tamaki explained, and I expelled a sigh as I moved a hand to massage my temple.

"So in essence, Tamaki, you're saying I'm supposed to figure out what we're doing?" I replied, dread already in my voice.

Tamaki nodded emphatically, grinning. "Exactly! I thought you'd enjoy it! Not to mention, I've never had a sleepover, so I don't—"

"You have got to be kidding me, Tamaki," I cut him off, resisting the urge to glare at him. "What makes you think I'll know? The only sleepovers I had were when I was a teenager, and it was all girls. In essence, we just talked about cute guys, did our nails, and did makeovers before we popped in a chick flick and ate popcorn." I paused to let that sink in before I concluded, "Therefore, I don't have any idea what to do in this situation. You're the one who wanted to do this, and the majority of you are guys, so you should be the one with the ideas, Tamaki."

Tamaki had ended up hiding behind Kyoya, and he peered over said boy's shoulder with tears running down his face. "Kyoyaaa, I think she's mad at me," he wailed in a whisper, causing me to roll my eyes.

"What do you expect me to do?" Kyoya queried, obviously not in the mood to deal with the blonde male. "She is correct; you are the one who wanted to do this, so you should have planned activities. Technically, she is a client in this situation."

"Wait, what?" I asked. I started shaking my head. "I am not a client outside of school, Ootori-san. I may be a guest in this group, but that does not make me a client."

Tamaki, however, was not paying any mind to what I had just said. He'd brought himself up straight, and then he snapped his fingers. "Kyoya is right! Tsuki-hime is our client, and as such we should do everything in our power to make her enjoy her time here!"

"Yeah!" Mitsukuni and the twins exclaimed in agreement.

"No! Guys, seriously, that's ridiculous!" I retorted in exasperation, looking at Takashi and then Kyoya for support. Takashi, however, seemed like he was for the plan since he simply stood next to Mitsukuni and waited. Kyoya was the only one who said anything, and any hopes I had were crushed.

"So, Tamaki, what are your plans for our client?"

Tamaki snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Host Club! Form a circle! The discussions for 'Operation: Make Tsuki-hime Have a Great Time!' are to begin!" Everyone crowded around Tamaki and Kyoya, and they all started speaking excitedly (minus Takashi and Kyoya) about their ideas.

With a sigh I moved to my bag and pulled out my iPod before lying down on one of the futons and putting the headphones in my ears. Turning it up loud enough to drown out their voices, I rested my chin on my hands and simply watched them debate over what to do. Takashi and Kyoya would even give their own input every so often, but it didn't seem like much was being decided. With a sigh, I got more comfortable and started mouthing the lyrics to the music blaring in my ears. Maybe what they came up with wouldn't be too bad.

After all, as a "client," they were aiming to do stuff I would find fun.

...Right?

* * *

><p>"This is absolutely ridiculous," I muttered to myself between gritted teeth as I made every effort not to stumble around. It was getting rather late (possibly around one am) and we were on our last round of Sardines. I, being the totally lucky person I am, had found Kaoru just before Hikaru did, and as such had found myself being the last person to find a place to hide. They were giving me five minutes, but that honestly didn't seem like enough time since I couldn't even begin to think of a hiding place. I knew I still had a few minutes left, but either way I was sure I'd still be ambling around aimlessly when everyone else found me.<p>

I slowly ventured to open a door nearby and immediately decided against it—it was _way_ too dark in there. Taking a moment to get my bearings, I tapped a finger against my lips and slowly made my way down the hallway. I didn't want to hide in a boring place; it would defeat the purpose of the game. I wanted them to have to search hard for me. But at the same time I didn't want it to be too dark since that would mean they couldn't see me at all. I tilted my head back as I thought, and that was when I saw it. There was a slight alcove into the wall near the ceiling across from a set of stairs; it looked like it might be big enough for me to sit comfortably in. Possibly even big enough to where I would have some space above my head. I assumed the stairs were frequented by the staff, and I probably wouldn't have noticed them had I not gone so far back into this wing of the house.

I had been told that this floor was the only one we could use for our game (just to make it fair) but those were the only parameters given. Content with my hiding place, I now simply had to find a way to get that far up so I could get into it. There was a window directly in front of me, but the alcove was still a bit higher than that would allow me.

Unless... I could get enough of a jump to grab onto the edge of the alcove. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, I pulled myself up onto the window sill and fixed my footing to where I was balanced enough to let go for at least a second. Once I was satisfied with my balance, I calculated the distance from where I was to the alcove, adding in the length of my arms above my head. Closing my eyes and taking in a breath, I bent my knees and then pushed off the sill as I jumped up. This was my one shot; if it didn't work, I'd have to run into some random room and just wait until they found me. I wouldn't have the time to prep myself for another jump.

I allowed myself a short laugh of triumph when my fingers caught onto the edge of the alcove, and I quickly pulled myself up and into it. It was surprisingly large, and it looked like some sort of plant or small statue had once been on it. Where that item was now, I was not sure; I just knew it wasn't there anymore but I could see the markings where it had been. Sliding further back into the alcove, I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. Now it was simply time to wait.

Several times footsteps came into my general vicinity before retreating back down the hallway and out of hearing shot. At one point I honestly wondered if maybe my hiding space had been chosen too carefully. If so, would they give up and simply tell me to come out? The competitive side of me reveled at the thought because—well, honestly, who wouldn't enjoy finding a hiding spot no one even thought to look at? Sure, it was a "commoner" game to them, but it had to at least rile up _someone_ that they hadn't found a _girl_ yet.

It was a little while later that I heard several footsteps, and I briefly wondered if they had formed a group in an effort to try and find me. "Maybe she accidentally went down a flight and didn't know it. That happened to us one time," I heard the twins speak at the same time.

"That section of the house has been redone since then, so it is unlikely she went down the stairs unknowingly," Kyoya replied. I heard a door open and then heard Kyoya speak, "Tamaki, you take this room and the one across the hall from it."

"Isn't this cheating, though?" Kaoru queried.

"Yeah, if he doesn't come back out, we know she's in one of the rooms," Hikaru added.

"So it's not as fun." As per usual, they both finished together.

"We aren't going to simply stand here; we are all going to take a room and the one across from it. That way none of us will know who found her and will have to go to a different room afterward," Kyoya explained.

"And if she's not up here?" Mitsukuni asked with a pout.

Kyoya took a moment to answer, and I imagined he was pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "She is up here. We just may need to change our tactics."

"You sound so sure of that," the twins intoned.

"In this month of knowing her, let me just say she seems like the type of person who enjoys a challenge like this. She would not ignore the only rule set in place," Kyoya answered, and I could have sworn his voice held a tone of respect. "Now, choose a room. No pairs."

There were several noises of complaint, but it seemed like everyone did what Kyoya said, and it was after I heard doors closing that I heard footsteps getting closer to where I was. I held my breath as they stopped right in front of me, and a moment later they started again, and I could see the top of Kyoya's head. He turned around about halfway down the stairs and his eyes slowly drifted up until they met mine. His eyes were slightly wide in surprise, but it was short-lived since he smirked and pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose.

I couldn't tell if he was about to speak, but I heard the sound of a knob turning and put a finger to my lips to keep him quiet. No one could see where he was, so I wasn't too worried about him being found out if he just kept his mouth shut. He simply kept smirking as a door closed and another one opened before closing immediately after. I assumed that was probably Tamaki switching rooms, so I held up another finger to keep Kyoya from moving. It wasn't long after that when more doors opened and closed. Once I was sure everyone had switched rooms, I leaned forward and motioned for Kyoya to hurry up to the wall. He obliged my orders, and I reached down, whispering, "Hold your arms up."

Surprisingly, he listened to me, and soon I had pulled him up onto the ledge beside me. It wasn't as large as it had seemed earlier, but there was at least space in between us. I decided it'd be easier to sit sideways with my knees bent, and Kyoya followed suit, though he was turned to where he could face me. Worried that his knees might be seen by at least Takashi, I lightly pulled them closer to me. That one part of my torso was warm from where his legs were leaned against it, but I was honestly too anxious about being found to really worry about how improper this probably was.

I wasn't really paying much attention to Kyoya since I was too busy listening for sounds of the others. It wasn't long before a door opened, followed by several others, and the five boys left walked into the hallway. It was quiet for a moment, and I assumed they were taking inventory of who was left.

"Where's Kyoya?" Tamaki queried, and they all made noises to show they didn't know.

"I took the last set of rooms, so I wasn't sure where he was when I came out the first time. I just assumed one of you didn't come back out," Kaoru explained.

"Huh. I guess he had a tactic in mind for looking for her. He said something about that before we started looking," Hikaru replied, and I imagined him shrugging.

There was a short pause before Mitsukuni stated, "Well, let's go looking again! If he's found her, it should be easier to spot them, right~?" I had to suppress a laugh. Mitsukuni had always been a positive thinker.

"Honey-senpai is right! We can't give up yet! Let's give this last search all we've got!" Tamaki exclaimed, and I sincerely wanted to tell him to be quiet since people _were_ sleeping at this hour. But I bit down on my lower lip so I wouldn't give our position away, and I heard the rest of the group make agreeing noises before they headed off again.

Just to make sure they were all gone, I leaned over Kyoya's knees and peeked my head out from behind the corner of the wall hiding the alcove from view. There was no one in the hallway, and with a relieved sigh, I settled back into my mostly comfortable position and looked at Kyoya. "So, what made you suddenly think to look here?" I whispered, cocking my head.

Kyoya's voice was almost always quiet, so I wasn't surprised when he spoke in a normal pitch. "I figured you would hide somewhere up high if you could, and since I'd looked everywhere else the second time around, this was the last place I could think of." I simply nodded and rested my head against the wall as I tried to think of some way to pass the time that wouldn't involve awkward silences and glances. "How did you get up here?" the black-haired boy finally questioned, and I shifted my gaze back to him with a grin.

"I took gymnastics and martial arts for years as I was growing up and never gave either of those up entirely when I started my singing career, so I have a decent grip on my balance and my body strength. I calculated the distance and the effort I needed to put behind it after I had gotten onto the window sill, and I jumped with the goal of getting a grip on the ledge with my fingers. From there, I knew I could pull myself up here," I answered with a shrug.

Kyoya made a quiet noise to show he'd heard me, and we fell into a rather comfortable silence. I eventually started mouthing the words to one of my songs, tapping my fingers against the top of one of my hands that was resting on his knee. It was an easy way to pass the time, and soon enough I heard several pairs of footsteps again, though this time they were accompanied by several voices.

"Kyoya-senpai, Tsuki-senpai, we give up! Come on out!" That was the twins, of course.

"Kyoyaaaa, Tsuki-himeee! Where are you?" Tamaki wailed.

"Kyo-chan~ Tsuki-chan~" Mitsukuni sang.

I laughed softly and cocked my head at Kyoya. "Shall we get down now or wait until they wander off again?"

In response, Kyoya shifted his legs, and I released them. He turned around awkwardly before he pushed himself forward and landed on the floor with a quiet _thump!_ He turned around and looked back up at me as I slid forward, and I quirked a brow at him. "Well, are you gonna move so I can get down?"

"What sort of gentleman allows a lady to jump from such a high place?" Kyoya retorted, though his voice sounded rather indifferent.

I snorted, folding my arms across my chest. "I am not going to drop down into your arms, Ootori-san. This is not a _Disney_ movie."

The words hadn't left my mouth any sooner than two hands had lightly grabbed my ankles and pulled me forward and off the ledge. I squeaked as I landed in familiar arms, and I felt my face heat up instantly, my head tilting back to look up at the boy who'd caught me. "T-Takashi!" I stammered, jerking away from him slightly. I ended up falling on the floor, landing on my back with a quiet, "Oof!"

"Tsuki-chan, are you all right?!" Mitsukuni exclaimed worriedly as he rushed to my side, and I sat up, shooing the blonde boy away slightly.

"I'm fine, Mitsukuni. I didn't even have the wind knocked out of me," I answered, pushing myself up into a standing position. Glancing around at the others, I smiled to try and reassure them. "Seriously; I've had way worse falls than that." Shifting my gaze up to Takashi, I smiled sheepishly. "And I'm sorry for jerking like that, Takashi. I guess all of it just caught me off guard..." I averted my gaze from him and nearly squeaked when I felt a hand come to rest on my head. I looked up at Takashi to find him smiling slightly.

"As long as you're all right, Tsuki, it's fine," Takashi answered, and I found myself blushing again. This was always the awkward time to be around Takashi, especially since I still didn't know how to react, and it had been nearly two weeks since I'd found out for sure he felt the same way about me as I did him. I just still hadn't been given a response yet.

Coughing delicately, I looked at the others and tried to ignore the fact that Takashi's hand was still on my head. "So, what are we doing now?"

"Now we're going to make popcorn and watch a movie!" Tamaki exclaimed. The mention of popcorn was enough to make me not worry about what movie they could possibly have chosen to watch, so I simply started following everyone as Takashi's hand moved to rest on the small of my back. I dared to sneak a glance at him to find him looking down at me, and I felt blood rush to my face once again. Something told me these next few hours were going to be really, really long.

* * *

><p>With a soft sigh, I managed to wriggle out of Mitsukuni's grip and slide quietly off the futon. Mitsukuni mumbled something incoherently in his sleep, but I paid no heed to it as I made my way to the sliding door that led out to a balcony. A glance at the clock told me it was almost four am, and that meant that I still had at least a few hours before anyone woke up. It was too dark in the room for me to manage, which was why I wanted out on the balcony. At least that way I would have <em>some<em> type of light. I unlocked the sliding door and slid it open as quietly as I could before slipping through the slightly small gap and sliding it closed behind me.

It was slightly chilly outside and briefly I wished I had grabbed a blanket or jacket of some sort before coming outside, but I figured I could manage it if I curled up on a seat. Thus I found the cushioned seat closest to the railing and sat down in it, pulling my knees to my chest and rubbing my hands along my legs. I turned my head and rested my cheek on my knees so that I could still see the yard beyond the railing. The Ootoris' house was amazing, I would admit, but it was their yard I was most impressed by. The landscape was just gorgeous, flowers and trees in bloom everywhere. They had a courtyard and a pool, as well as a medium-sized pavilion with ivy growing up the sides. It was beautiful during the daytime, and I honestly hoped I would get to see it at some point during the summer, but for some reason, it just looked rather enchanted at night.

I blinked as I heard the door slide open, and when I looked up to see Takashi, I frowned slightly. I waited until he closed the door before I asked, "What are you doing up?"

The onyx-eyed boy didn't answer my question as he made his way over to me and revealed a blanket. He draped it across my shoulders before he sat in the chair next to mine and replied, "I felt something grab onto me, so I woke up. You weren't between Mitsukuni and me, and I saw you sitting out here. You aren't wearing much, so I brought you a blanket."

I smiled softly at him, rubbing my chin across my knees. "Thank you, Takashi. But you should really get back to sleep. I know you're tired."

Takashi didn't answer; instead, he reached over and took a lock of my hair between his fingers. He lightly rubbed the strands, staring at them. "Your hair's still as soft as last time," he murmured before leaning forward slightly while bringing the hair in his hand closer to his face. I felt heat steal into my face as he smelled it. "Still smells like it did before, too. Except now I can smell the vanilla mixed in." I honestly couldn't speak, so I just stared at him and tried to calm my heart with how close he was.

His gaze shifted to mine, and I felt my breath catch. Swallowing roughly, I scrambled in my thoughts for something to say and could only come up with, "T-Takashi, you really should...um, g-get back to sleep." He smiled softly at me as he tucked the lock of hair in his hand behind my ear, and this time his hand lingered against my jaw. I forgot how to breathe, and I knew my face had probably just gotten twice as hot. My heart was hammering against my chest so hard, I was worried it would bruise something. "...Takashi?" I whispered, my voice sounding strained to my own ears.

"Breathe, Tsuki-hime," the black-haired male replied. I couldn't even bring myself to reprimand him for calling me that, especially since my burning lungs finally made sure they were noticed. I forced myself to breathe properly, though my head was still spinning at how close Takashi was, particularly since his thumb was lightly caressing my cheekbone. "I've been thinking about your offer," he suddenly stated, and if possible, my face only started burning more. I wasn't sure I wanted to know his answer just yet.

"O-oh?" I managed to squeak out. Takashi chuckled softly, his thumb still tracing my cheekbone.

It was a long moment before he said, "Yes." I blinked and waited for him to continue, but he didn't. So I frowned slightly, figuring he still wasn't sure what he wanted to do yet. He surprised me by chuckling once more. "That's my answer, Tsuki."

My eyes widened, and I opened and closed my mouth several times before I managed to get anything out. "Seriously?" There was a wealth of hope in that one word, and when Takashi nodded, I felt pure bliss rush through me. I giggled giddily and jumped up, resisting the urge to do some weird dance that would make me look like an idiot. So instead I simply twirled around a few times, giggling as I came to a stop and looked at him. "So does that mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend or are we just dating?"

Takashi blinked and replied in about the same way I thought he would. "What's the difference?"

Laughing cutely, I shrugged. "I guess in this case, there isn't much of one. Most people date to see if they're compatible before they call themselves an official boyfriend and girlfriend. But those are usually people who don't know if they really like each other. Or at least, that's how it's been in my experience."

Takashi smiled sweetly as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Then we're boyfriend and girlfriend," he answered. **(6)** Hearing the words come from him caused me to giggle again, and I honestly couldn't wait to tell my friends about it. They would be glad to hear that all the shy flirting and blushing had finally come to something. It had been bugging them like crazy _before_ I moved away, and now it had just gotten out of hand in their eyes. All I knew was that I was excited.

But before I could open my mouth to say anything else, the sound of a door sliding open reached my ears again. I looked over my shoulder to see Kyoya walk out, his glasses perched on his nose as always. I briefly wondered if he ever took them off. "I thought I heard voices out here," he commented as he shut the door and walked over to us.

I frowned, biting down on my lower lip. "I'm sorry, Ootori-san. Did we wake you?"

Kyoya studied me for a moment before shaking his head. "Not really. What are the two of you doing up?"

"Eh, Mitsukuni woke up Takashi because I wasn't there for him to grab onto. But it was too dark and quiet in the room for me to stay in there, so I came out here," I explained.

"When I saw she wasn't next to me, I looked up to see her outside. I brought her a blanket," Takashi added.

Kyoya nodded before he looked back at me, tilting his head slightly. "Surely you were not planning on sleeping out here," he murmured incredulously.

I couldn't help it; I laughed. Takashi smiled fondly, and Kyoya scowled. "You still haven't figured it out, have you, Ootori-san?" I managed to ask between laughs.

Kyoya 's rather sour mood was obvious as he retorted, "Figured what out, Nakamura-san?"

I managed to control myself, and I merely giggled as I cocked my head. "I have insomnia. I am lucky to get two hours of sleep each day."

The gray-eyed boy blinked, his face transforming into surprise. I smiled at him as he asked, "What?"

"It's been that way since I was a kid. My parents were constantly fighting before my mom took me off to America, and I figured out rather quickly that if they knew I was up, they would at least try to be quiet. To this day, I'm not entirely sure what went on there, though I think it may have had something to do with one of my old friends and an arranged marriage. I don't really remember that much from before the fighting, to be honest, so I can't be sure it was a friend I was betrothed to." I shrugged as I moved on. "Anyway, I just got into the habit of not sleeping very much, and I even developed a rather abnormal fear of the dark because of it all. I guess, psychologically, my parents wouldn't argue when the lights were on, and so I came to think of the darkness as the reason why they would argue. It's a bad correlation, but it's what developed and I can't quite get over it."

"Hm. That's what you meant by it being too dark and quiet, then," he murmured, and I simply nodded. "So that night you told me to get some sleep, you hadn't even been asleep yourself?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. "Nope. I told you I was just thirsty."

"Yes, but I thought you had woken up and were thirsty. I was not aware you had been awake that long," Kyoya replied. "Have you not sought help for your insomnia?"

I wrinkled up my nose at the thought. "I have, but it didn't end well. The treatments they tried didn't work, and then finally they gave me some of their lowest-dosage pills, and I almost didn't wake up. I haven't bothered with it since. I'm doing fine without sleep, anyway. I don't have any medical problems from lack of sleep."

"Maybe you should let Kyoya's family's doctors take a look," Takashi spoke suddenly, and I blinked over at him. "They take care of the Haninozuka family and mine. If anyone can figure it out, they probably could." I furrowed my brows, not entirely sure why he was suggesting it. "I worry about you when you don't sleep."

I felt my face flame. "Oh." I guess I should have expected as much, but it was surprising to hear him voice those opinions.

"No one is forcing you into it, Nakamura-san, but if you would like for any of our medical staff to try and help you with your insomnia, we would be more than willing to set up an appointment for you," Kyoya added, and I was surprised to hear a little concern in his voice.

"Thank you—both of you—but I really don't think it's necessary. If it seems like it's starting to have sudden adverse effects on me, I will let you know, Ootori-san. Now, considering it's likely nearing five am, the two of you need to get back to bed," I ordered, pointing at the sliding door. "Inside, boys. You need your sleep."

Kyoya shook his head with a light smirk before he turned around and proceeded back to the door. It was nice to know he knew when to give up when he was half-asleep. "Goodnight, Nakamura-san, Mori-senpai."

"Goodnight, Kyoya," Takashi replied.

"G'night, Ootori-san~" I chirped as he slid the door open and disappeared back inside. I looked over at Takashi to order him to go inside and get some sleep (yet again) but was surprised to see he had stood up. I almost said something to him, but he scooped me up into his arms and proceeded to walk inside. I didn't want to wake the others, so I kept from snapping at him as he slid the door closed and carried me back to the futon. He set me down gently before he settled down on the futon beside me, disentangling me from the blanket.

I almost got back up then, but his arm snaked around my waist, and I immediately went rigid. Knowing he had at least a moment to get away with it, he adjusted the blanket over us before his arm returned to my waist, under the blanket. I could feel the heat emanating from it through the silk pajamas. I felt him nuzzle my head before he murmured, "Goodnight, Tsuki-hime."

"Goodnight, Takashi," I whispered back, deciding to just give up on getting back outside. It was warm and comfortable inside, and I found that the silent darkness wasn't so bad since I knew someone was with me. And since that someone was Takashi, it only reinforced the comfort because he'd always been the one who could soothe me when I was the most afraid. With Takashi things always felt all right.

So I allowed myself to relax back into him and wait for the moment the sun started to rise; the moment I could sleep without the worry of something bad happening in the dark of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) <strong>You guys aren't going to hear about this again for...a really long time. Lol. So I'm noting it to try and make sure you can remember it when it comes up again.

**(2) **Just because it's not really obvious, this is...eh, one of the few signs that Kyoya _might_ be falling for Tsuki. I'm not sure yet if it's already started, but it will have happened before she and Takashi separate. Just because I don't think anything would really happen in this story if he hadn't already developed feelings for her before she started her summer tour. c: Especially if I want stuff to start actually developing when the episodes start. :D [/totally excited] I have so much planned!

**(3) **And this is something you'll hear about again before summer starts. Tsuki and Fuyumi will talk again (this time without Kyoya right there) and she'll tell Tsuki to call him by his first name because she thinks he'd like it. Tsuki (who totally will not understand) will oblige and be totally confused by Kyoya's reaction. Lol.

**(4) **Okay, so this is important. Tsuki loves food, obviously. So she doesn't understand Kyoya's reluctance to eat anything sweet at all, and because of that she tries to get him to try new stuff. This includes fruity things (which he claims he doesn't like just because he refuses to try them again). I already have the beginning of a one-shot written for that, so when they finally start acting like a couple, that one-shot will be out for you guys to read. :D

**(5) **So, in my own blunder, I had Kyoya charging money from the clients. (The cherry blossom thing was not an accident. Lol. I just wanted her to come up with something that showed she was competent with managing funds.) Before the summer starts, Tsuki will have gotten him altered to the points system he speaks about in the Zuka Club episode. ^-^

**(6) **Finally, this! Mori is not by any means my favorite (obviously). He's not even my second favorite. But this-oh my goodness, I fangirled (not a real word, I know) so hard right there. [/squee] It just looked and sounded so cute in my head! :DDD

So, now I can explain the title! Tsuki's afraid of the dark, and she has insomnia. Since that song was written because Ellie Goulding was afraid of the dark when she was younger, I figured it would work well for this. Btw, her insomnia is something that will be "cured" before this story is over with. But in the sequel, it'll be back. You'll understand why when that comes. But anyway, she has far worse problems than insomnia in this story, so it's not a big deal. Lol.

Next chapter: slightly a filler chapter with her friends, her father, and (the not-so-much-filler-part) a date with Mori! :D

All right! As always, I'd love to have any reviews! You guys really made my day when I got so many for the last chapter, and I would love to see more! Reviews are probably the only thing that will keep me in the writing mood come Monday. College starts back, so it may be a while before you get an update (hopefully not too long, though). I love all of you, and thank you for reading!

**~DM **;)


	7. First Date

_Disclaimer: I honestly think my life would be complete if I could own Kyoya Ootori, but I don't see Bisco Hatori allowing me to buy those rights..._

Holy mothballs! A new chapter!? Yes, my lovelies, your eyes are still functioning properly. I have a new chapter for you guys. It's long-ish, it's cute-ish, and it's awkwardly-written-ish. I'm not sure if anyone was aware, but I had a rather hurtful review on my last chapter. I deleted it the moment I could, and yes - maybe it was simply someone "trolling" me. Still, it was very upsetting, and I kind of lost sight of this for a while. It doesn't help that Tsukiko is being very stubborn about wanting me to move past her whole fling with Takashi. [/is shot] Guess that's what I get for having the next three years of her life planned out quite thoroughly in my head. But I'll address that at the bottom; you guys want to read this chapter, no?

Before I move onto my reviewers, I want to apologize to everyone who's read this story and has waited for so many months for another chapter. I've had quite a heap of family issues recently, and it's just been a very rock time for me. My main concern is for my grandmama. She was recently diagnosed with cancer, and they found out that it was there for a lot longer than they had expected. There was a tumor all around her bladder and inside it, as well as around her uterus; she had surgery back in October for it, and did not get out of the hospital until the end of November - and then it was only to move her to a rehab center because she couldn't walk. She has since recovered, but they started her on chemotherapy yesterday.

I just wanted to address that issue because (even though I will try) I'm a college student, and I seriously don't know how much free time I will have - and it's possible that free time may be taken up with helping take care of my grandmama. So if it takes a while for the next update - I haven't forgotten about you guys. I'm just really, really busy, and I thank you all ahead of time for being understanding of this.

Now, before I _finally_ shut up - I'd love to thank my reviewers~ **ivyfedora, round and round we go, angel2u, **and **Ella** (who was a guest)~ You guys are absolutely amazing, and this chapter is dedicated to you! I must have read those four reviews over and over this past week, and it's been my motivation to write (aside from yummy scenes with Kyoya beckoning me forth).

**ivy_,_**yes, you were the first person to review my last chapter. Feel proud. xD**  
><strong>

**angel**, that is an excellent question. Tsuki will not like Renge at all, and Kyoya's honestly going to be amused by it. Tsuki...gets jealous rather easily when it comes to Kyoya, so it ought to be extremely entertaining for the lot of you. I do, however, think that Tsuki and Renge could become quite close friends, after Renge leaves Sook's man alone. Lol.

**Ella**, thank you for taking the time to review my story! I'm glad you like it, and I hope you'll stick around, even though (I'm going to go ahead and warn you) Takashi and Tsuki will not be together for more than another chapter or two (though it's really over two or three months in the story).

Jeez, I talk a lot don't I? (One last thing: if you guys haven't seen _The Hobbit_, you are seriously missing out. Kili is the most adorable thing in this entire world. I've seen the movie four times already, and want to see it again.) Anyway! Let's get on with it, shall we~?

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter vii<strong>_

"Well, someone looks chipper this morning," Hiroshi commented as I walked up to my trio of friends. It had been two days since Takashi had answered my proposition, and by that morning, I had practically been squirming with excitement about telling my friends; it wasn't a surprise that it was really obvious.

"What is it?" Emiko queried, sighing softly. I could only assume she thought it was something about a book or a movie; we didn't exactly have the same tastes.

I grinned at them, shifting my bag higher up onto my shoulder. "So on Friday I was conned into a sleepover with the host club," I started my story, holding a hand up to fend off any questions. "They took me to the Hitachiins' place to get some clothes, and then we went to the Ootoris' place for the duration of our sleepover. Mitsukuni left his stuffed bunny in the limo, and he told me it didn't matter since he could just use me while he slept. I'm sure you can guess who I was in the middle of." The looks on my friends' faces were enough to tell me I could continue. "Once everyone settled down to sleep, I got up and went outside on the balcony. Apparently, Mitsukuni tried to hold onto Takashi and woke him up, and when Takashi realized I wasn't there, he came outside. You guys know how he is when he gets tired—he just started talking to me and then finally brought up my proposition from two weeks ago. I just kind of nodded and said, 'Oh?' He was quiet for a while and then simply stated, 'yes.' I sat there, waiting, before he chuckled and said that was his answer." It was a mouthful, but I knew my friends well enough to know they would have asked for those details after if I had just told them Takashi was my boyfriend.

My three friends stared at me, mouths agape.

"_Seriously_?" Hiroshi asked after a short silence. I frowned, blinking at him. "I'm sorry; I am seriously gonna have to see proof of this one before I believe it."

"What do you mean _proof_?!" I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

Emiko sent a glare at Hiroshi before trying to placate me. "I guess we're all just having a hard time comprehending since you two have been skirting around the whole thing for so long. I mean, it's been—what—a _month_ since you got back home? It's been time."

"Hey, I told him two weeks ago! It's not my fault he's so hard-headed," I grumbled, causing all of them to laugh while Tamotsu ruffled my hair.

Grinning, he shook his head at me. "Kiki, that's like the kettle calling the pot black."

I blinked at him. "Don't you mean 'the pot calling the kettle black,' Momo?"

Tamotsu sighed, shaking his head at me. "Just ignore the meaning of the words, Kiki."

"Oh, well, I know I'm stubborn. That's why I'm allowed to say he is," I answered, shrugging. "It's not like I'm ignorant about it."

Hiroshi chuckled as Tamotsu sighed, exaggeratedly throwing his hands up. "Just don't worry about it, Tamotsu. In the end, she'll simply win."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" I asked, pouting at my best friend.

None of my friends got the chance to reply, considering I was suddenly side-glomped by a form slightly smaller than I was. "Good morning, Tsuki-chan~" the form chirped.

Blinking, I smiled and hugged the little blonde boy beside me. "Good morning, Mitsukuni~" I sang back. I looked up and over to see Takashi, and I smiled warmly at him. "And good morning to you, too, Takashi~"

To my surprise, he actually responded with, "Good morning, Tsuki." Our gazes met for a long moment, and I looked away first because it was suddenly very quiet.

I saw the looks from my three friends and asked, "..._what_?"

"Wow. That was awkward, Kiki. I'm glad you two are together, but save those looks for when you're alone, please," Tamotsu muttered, shifting awkwardly.

I blinked at him. "What looks?"

Hiroshi snickered as he answered, "Like you want to—"

I felt my face flush as I stepped forward and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Please, do me a favor and do not finish that statement, Hiroshi." He smirked against my hand but didn't attempt to say anything. "And for your information, that was not one of those looks. I have seen those types of looks before, and that most certainly was not that." Hiroshi shrugged, so I let my hand fall back to my side and took a step back.

"So, when is your first date?" Emiko queried, looking at me. I blinked and looked back at her for a moment before looking over at Takashi.

The black-haired male looked down at me, murmuring, "Saturday evening." I knew it was a suggestion, not an "order" of some sorts, so I nodded.

"I don't have any events to do this weekend, so that's good for me," I agreed with a smile.

An arm rested across my shoulders, and I blinked over at Hiroshi as he spoke, "But you'll be picking her up at her father's place."

Quirking a brow, I crossed my arms, "And who decided that?"

"Well, I did, but I'm sure when you tell your father about this, he'll want you to be picked up there, anyway," Hiroshi answered, quite logically for him. I had honestly forgotten I would have to tell my dad about Takashi and me, and I knew that—even though he would be happy for me—he would also tell me it wouldn't be allowed to last for long.

I sighed and nodded. "You're right; he will want me to be there so he can talk to Takashi about my curfew and whatever," I answered, smiling at the thought of a "curfew" from my father when I was living on my own as it was. Hiroshi looked proud of himself, but he didn't get the chance to say anything else since the school bell rang. As a medium-sized group, we made our way into the school building. Mitsukuni was clinging to my arm, and Takashi's hand rested on the small of my back. It was weird, but not really as uncomfortable as I had been expecting. We were all split in two as Tamotsu, Mitsukuni, and Takashi turned to head up the stairs. I darted to Takashi's side to give him a quick hug before immediately joining Emiko and Hiroshi on our trek down the hallway.

"You two are most certainly not normal," Emiko sighed, glancing over at me. I simply blinked at her as we came to a stop just outside my classroom. "Rather than holding hands or the like, he practically guides you around like a sibling or a father. It's one thing to escort someone during an event or dance, but it's another thing to do it in this setting."

Hiroshi sent Emiko a look, and then he objected, "Not always. It's more of a gentlemanly act, and Mori is definitely a gentleman. She's lucky he's showing any signs of being possessive, so hand-holding is probably something that may take a while."

"I guess you're right," Emiko replied, smiling softly. "I'm sorry if I upset you or anything, Tsukiko. I guess we'll see you at lunch."

I simply nodded at her statement and turned around to walk into my classroom. Emiko's words were kind of bothering me since she hadn't said them out of jealousy but out of sincere confusion and worry. Though, if I were honest, neither Takashi nor I had been our normal selves since I'd basically asked him out two weeks prior. But that was just because we didn't know how to act as a couple; it was just kind of weird, really. That was the easiest way to put it. **(1)**

"Kyoyaaaa, Tsuki-hime's ignoring me!"

Tamaki's wail cut through my thoughts, and I started to turn toward him as Kyoya answered, "She is thinking about something, Tamaki."

I smiled sheepishly as I set my stuff down, leaning against my desk as I turned around. "I'm sorry, Tamaki. It was something Emiko said that was bothering me," I murmured, tugging at a lock of my hair.

"Oh, it's okay!" Tamaki replied, pulling me to his chest. I sighed before starting to wiggle out of his grasp. "I just wanted to tell you good morning!"

He got to tell me that every morning I was at school, so I could easily say it wouldn't be missed. "Good morning, Tamaki," I responded, and he finally released me. I leaned back against my desk again as I looked over at Kyoya, who was standing nearby. "Good morning to you, too, Ootori-san," I greeted with a smile.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose as he replied, "Good morning, Nakamura-san."

"Is there anything I need to worry about for tonight? Will I be crushing the hopes of another older sister who, for some reason, thinks she knows me?" I queried, cocking my head and smiling good-naturedly to show it didn't really bother me.

Kyoya chuckled as he shook his head. "Fuyumi is my only sister, and she was only there that one night because my father had business to discuss with her husband. I am still unsure as to what made her think she knew you."

My brows furrowed at the tone of his voice with that last sentence. _'Did he just lie to me?'_ I honestly couldn't tell, but there was just something off about his voice when he had spoken that one sentence. "Huh," I responded noncommittally.

"However, I did realize what made her think we might be together," the black-haired boy added, and I blinked as Tamaki suddenly interrupted us.

"Hold it right there! Did you just say Fuyumi thought you two were a couple?!" Tamaki exclaimed, pointing his finger at Kyoya.

"Yes."

I couldn't help but laugh quietly at the easy answer Kyoya gave. "What were the two of you doing to make her think that?" Tamaki questioned, looking between the two of us.

"We walked into the kitchen together," I answered, shrugging. "I was hungry during one of our German tutoring sessions."

Tamaki nodded, stroking his chin with his index finger. "I can see how she might come to that conclusion," he agreed, and I nearly facepalmed.

"As can I, considering it was Valentine's Day," Kyoya added, and I gasped as it all clicked.

"Oh, wow, I can't believe we didn't think about that! That explains why Emiko gave me chocolates, then," I mused aloud. "Though I have to say, I think America's way of doing it is better. Both genders exchange gifts or chocolate on February 14th over there."

Tamaki gasped, and I blinked over at him. "Really?! I had always thought it was a commoner thing!"

I heaved a sigh, and rubbed a hand over my face. "Tamaki, you are seriously going to have to stop saying stuff like that. One day you're going to say it to the wrong person, and it's not going to end well."

Tamaki, however, either ignored what I said or simply brushed it off as unimportant since he continued, "But if you say it happens, then that must mean it's something everyone does. How strange; why does the United States do it that way?"

"I can honestly say I don't know, Tamaki. I was never particularly a history buff, and Valentine's Day is a day I have never had a reason to have an interest in," I answered with a shrug. "I honestly don't even think the day originally had anything to do with chocolates or the like."

"You are correct," Kyoya suddenly spoke, and Tamaki and I directed our attention to him. He turned his head to look at me as he continued, "The history surrounding how it became St. Valentine's Day is mostly made up of myths and legends of a man named Valentine or Valentinus. Christians in particular know of three men who were martyred by either of those names. It is said that during the third century, Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men because he thought single men made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine was said to continue performing wedding rituals and ceremonies in secret; therefore, he was deemed 'romantic.' There were a few different stories circulating that a man named Valentine helped Christians escape Roman prisons, though they're rather lacking in the romantic theme everyone thinks of on Valentine's Day. There was one legend, though, that Valentine fell in love with a woman whom he sent cards or letters to, and at least one of them was signed, 'From your Valentine.' Thus, there were simply some romantically-themed stories tied to his name."

I pondered on that as I cocked my head. "Huh; well, that's all fine and dandy, but what's so significant about the date? None of that explains February 14th being the oh-so-_lucky_ date," I replied, grinning. Kyoya smirked lightly, and I knew he'd understood my sarcasm.

"That actually came about because of the Christians; they didn't like one of the pagan rituals that was celebrated in mid-February—particularly since it was a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god Faunus, as well as the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. In order to get rid of that ritual, the Christians chose to have their Valentine's Day around then and decided on February 14th." Well, wasn't Kyoya just chock full of information?

I nodded as I tried to piece it all together. "So in essence, the date happened to be of no significance to St. Valentine—whoever he may be—and the other traditions used by the countries now developed of their own accord. Nice," I sighed, shaking my head with a slight smile. "That sounds akin to how I remember traditions developing throughout history. They typically have nothing to do with that particular day."

Kyoya, his history lesson finished, turned back to his notebook on his desk with a small smirk, though I heard him hum in what I assumed was agreement.

"Tsuki-hime, you're so cynical!" Tamaki wailed, taking hold of my hands as he invaded my personal space again. "We don't know what those traditions may have developed from; we weren't there!"

I sighed, resisting the urge to yank my hands from his grasp. "Tamaki, feel free to believe that those traditions are significant to anything historical, but I will rest assured knowing that the world is full of people who can create a tradition for just about anything and attempt to tie it into a historical event to suit their needs." The blonde boy was struck speechless after that, and I was able to wriggle my hands from his grip on them and to seat myself at my desk before I heard our teacher begin class.

* * *

><p>Though there were many things I was expecting after I announced mine and Takashi's relationship, the one thing I was not expecting was the overly awkward silence in the room. My father was looking down at the table in front of him, his elbows propped on it with his fingers laced together. He briefly bent his head forward a little, resting his mouth against his knuckles. I tried not to fidget as I waited; normally, such an awkward silence wouldn't bother me that badly. But this was my father, not some prospective client to his business, and it affected me a lot more than I had ever thought. Finally, he spoke.<p>

"You know it cannot last, Tsukiko."

I actually winced; those weren't exactly the _first_ words I'd expected to hear from him. Yeah, I knew it was one of the more important points he'd have to make, but he could've at least seemed like he was glad I'd finally gotten a satisfactory response from Takashi. I mean, it wasn't like I had hidden my crush from my father—not that I even could. "I know," I answered softly, meeting his gaze. "But I'm fifteen, Dad. I have three more years before I can even marry, and even more years before I'll take over the business, which is really when I'll have to be married, anyway. Takashi and I both know it can't last, but we weren't given the chance seven years ago, and with how Takashi is, I'm surprised I'm getting this chance. Can't you be at least a little happy for me?"

My father sighed, looking a lot older than he was; he honestly sounded tired. "Of course I'm happy for you, Sook. I guess I had just expected that this crush would go away, or that you wouldn't feel like acting on it. You're just always acting a lot older than you are, and I was not expecting this sudden announcement. I wasn't even aware you had spoken to Takashi about how you felt," he replied, and I could tell he was trying to relax. He was also trying to rationalize what I'd done, but I'd never been rational when it came to Takashi, and my father knew it.

"I cannot always be more mature than you expect, Daddy. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you with this, but I haven't exactly had the chance to lead the 'normal' life of a teenaged girl before now. If I don't do it now, I may never have the chance. Sometimes duty is allowed to take a back seat, isn't it?" I queried, frowning slightly at him. He didn't answer for a long moment, so I sat silently, waiting for what I assumed would be somewhat hurtful words.

"At your age, yes, it is. I suppose I had just hoped you would be with—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "But it does not matter. I hope you enjoy your time with Takashi, and I'm sure the two of you will have fun this weekend. I assume he is picking you up here?"

I really wanted to make him finish his sentence, even if I was fairly certain I knew how he was going to end it. Or I suppose I should say _with_ _whose name_ he was going to end it. And that was probably what bothered me the most, or at least enough to make me shake my head while looking at him incredulously. "With _whom_, Dad? Kyoya Ootori?" The name was spoken with a short, bitter laugh after it. "I've been here for over a month, and he still speaks to me with this annoying little detachment at least ninety percent of the time, and the other ten percent is typically more of a forced response than a genuine one. I have no problem with admitting he's attractive; he knows he is. But aside from that, the only other thing he has going for him is his intelligence. He has shown concern for me on two accounts, one of which he treated me quite nastily and forcefully before purposely angering me, and the other involving him mentioning seeing one of his family's doctors—which is quite convenient for him and his father. He has walls miles thick and miles high built up around him, and quite honestly, I have no inclination to break them down or attempt to vault over them in order to see the real boy behind them."

My father was looking at me in slight wonderment, and he had an odd little smile curve his lips. **(2)** I couldn't even begin to discern what it could possibly mean, and it only served to annoy me further. "Kyoya Ootori treats others the way he believes they want to be treated, Sook. You speak and act formally with him, so he does the same. If you slowly altered and treated him like a friend–if _you_ would let _him_ in–I'm almost certain he would do the same in due time. As for him treating you nastily, I can only assume you're referring to the evening of your party when you nearly collapsed. As I recall, you did not treat him too kindly, either. And he was concerned about you; he called the next morning to see how you were faring."

I was honestly shocked by my father's words. _Kyoya _had called the_ next morning? _And he'd never said a word about it! "What do you mean he called the next morning? And why did he call _you_?"

"He said you did not answer your phone when he called, and thus he called me. I don't understand why you sound so mortified. It's not like he was offended. He thought you were _sleeping_," my father answered with no small amount of amusement. He was _enjoying _this!

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. Surely this was some sick joke my father was playing on me. I vaguely remembered an unknown number popping up on my phone, but I hadn't thought it would be Kyoya, of all people. "No wonder he was in such a horrid mood those first couple of days. Why didn't you _tell_ me? I treated him so rudely because he was the only one who didn't ask if I was feeling better that day, and then he was downright nasty back to me, and for good reason, obviously! Jeez, I'll be lucky if he thinks I'm not the most ungrateful thing in the world." I released a pained groan as I let my head fall forward and hit the table. And it was definitely too late to apologize for how I acted towards him. Oi vey; it was anyone's guess as to why he even tried to tolerate me.

"Nonsense. I'm sure he worked it out on his own, Sook. Kyoya's a bright young man; you said so yourself. Besides, if he hadn't figured it out, I am quite certain he would be treating you a lot more coldly than he has been, and he definitely would not have been so obliging to have a room be set up for you to stay in last week."

Thinking over it, my father did have a point. But that did not keep me from feeling horrible about how I'd treated him. I'd have to make it up to him somehow, though I wasn't sure what that "how" would be. Heaving a sigh, I tried to think back on what had led us to this topic. I wasn't as angry or upset with my father now as I had been, but I still didn't know what made him hope something would happen between Kyoya and me. Kyoya was the youngest child, and therefore the least likely to inherit his father's company, no matter how hard he was trying to earn it. So, really, there would not be much gained between our marriage, if one were to be arranged for us (which sounded very likely by this point).

"You never did answer my question, Sook. Is Takashi going to pick you up here on Saturday evening?" My father's question broke through my thoughts, and I blinked at the sudden topic change, managing to nod in response. "Good. We'll have a bit to discuss before he whisks you away for a long overdue date," he murmured, his tone teasing even though I knew he was completely serious. I was also fairly certain he would voice his concerns to Takashi, as well, and I knew all I could do was cross my fingers and hope it wouldn't be enough to make Takashi choose his sense of duty over his feelings for me.

* * *

><p>I glanced at the clock as my mom babbled in my ear. The blue numbers were bright against the black background; 9:55 pm. Five minutes left before she'd have to get off the phone. Now was as good as a time as any to interrupt her with my news. "Uh, Mom?" I queried softly, breaking her flow of speech for the first time in years. There was a short, stunned silence before she made a humming sound, an indication for me to continue. I bit down on my lower lip as I twirled a strand of hair around my index finger, feeling my anxiety spike suddenly. "I'm, uh... I'm going on a date this Saturday. With Takashi."<p>

There were many responses I had expected, but the one I received was definitely not one of the scenarios that had taken place in my mind. My parents were just full of surprises this week. "Oh, sweetie, that's great! I'm so happy to hear this; I was wondering how long it would take you two to finally hit it off again. You'll have to call me the _moment_ I get off work, do you hear me? I want to hear everything!"

"Of course," I replied dumbly, not entirely sure how I was supposed to react to that. I had always thought she wouldn't approve of Takashi and I having a relationship (and didn't approve of the possibility), but obviously I was wrong. I listened to her babble about it for another couple of minutes before she realized she had to stop talking. We bid each other goodbye, and I sat on my couch in stunned silence.

That was until a buzzer sounded in my penthouse, of course. I blinked out of my wonderment before rushing over to the call button, holding it down as I spoke. "Yes?"

"Your favorite person of all time is here with some sweets," Hiroshi's voice answered, and I laughed as I pressed the other button to unlock the elevator's call button so he could access the one that came to the penthouse. I headed back to the living room and sat back down on the couch, turning on the television so I could play whatever random DVD was in the player. I didn't really watch television, so I usually had something in the DVD player to watch. Right now I was just using it to have some sort of noise in the background; Hiroshi and I always preferred it that way.

The elevator's _ding!_ sounded, and I looked up as the doors opened. I laughed at the sight of Hiroshi walking in with several bags on his arms, and two large to-go cups in his hands. I rushed to help him, taking the drinks out of his hands and setting them on the table nearby before taking the bags and doing the same. "Did you bring enough?" I asked, grinning as I sat back down on the couch.

"Well, I wasn't sure how much damage your mother would do, so I simply prepared for the worst. Apparently she didn't do as much as I thought she would," Hiroshi answered, watching me warily as though he wondered if I would break out into hysterical sobs.

I laughed softly, shrugging. "Yes, well, she had much the same reaction towards it as I thought my father would, except she didn't lecture me about it not lasting. Granted, she's always been one to think I should be allowed to marry whomever I wish, and a stronger company bonding be damned," I replied with a grin. "But I still was quite surprised at how happy she was over it; I always had the impression that she didn't want me coming back home in part because of Takashi."

Hiroshi nodded thoughtfully, and for a brief moment I wondered if he was hiding something from me; he looked like he wanted to say something, but whatever it was, I was not to find out for quite a while to come. **(3)** "Oh, well. I guess this is more of a celebratory sweet-eating time, then. Which works just as well for you, eh?" he teased, winking at me as he pulled out a box that I knew held either a cake or cupcakes in it.

"Hiroshi," I murmured, watching him as he set the box down on the coffee table. He turned his gaze to me inquiringly. "Thank you, for knowing that I would be worried about talking to my mom about all this. I'm glad you came. And I hope you know that the sweets aren't necessary to make me feel better."

He smiled softly back at me. "You're my best friend, Sook. I make it my business to know what worries you. And I know, but I have seven years of spoiling time to make up for. I know you hate being coddled, but someone's gotta do it." He returned to opening the pastry box, asking, "Now you _do_ like sprinkles, right?"

I laughed at his horrid attempt to make a joke, and he glanced over at me with a grin. Though it probably would have been wrong of me to do so—if anyone had ever asked me which of my friends I could not begin to think about never having, I would answer (without any hesitation) that it was the boy who stood crouched over a pastry box, all because he was worried my mother might have upset me over something so small as a date.

* * *

><p>"Will you <em>quit<em> fidgeting?" Emiko sighed exasperatedly.

I barely managed to respond through gritted teeth, "Yes, when you quit _pulling my hair_."

She made a face at me before she muttered, "It's not my fault you have so much of it."

"It's not mine, either!" I retorted before hissing in pain. "Just stop! I don't have time for you to mess with it again, Emi. Besides, I have a horrid headache from all your tugging. Just give me a brush."

Emiko made a noise of frustration but did as I ordered, leaving my hair alone and handing me the brush she'd been using. I quickly parted my hair to one side and pulled the brush through it to get rid of the tangles before I tried to make it look a little more tame. Once I was satisfied, I stood and grabbed my purse before heading to the door. Emiko followed, deciding she needed to make one last comment. "I still cannot believe you're wearing that on a date with Mori."

I frowned and glanced down at the dressy blue, black, and silver plaid shirt I wore before looking at my dark washed skinny jeans with my flat-footed, black suede boots that reached my mid-shin. "It's not that bad, Emi. I wore something much like this on Christmas Day a month and a half ago. I was sick of wearing dresses, and there was no way I was going to wear a skirt. We're going to an amusement park; he told me to dress casually." I continued walking down the hallway, heading for the sitting room on the first floor. "Besides, Takashi's seen me at my worst—sweating profusely and partially bruised with my karate clothes on. This is probably a large step up compared to that."

Emiko didn't say anything else as we walked down the stairs and proceeded down another hallway until we came to the sitting room. We walked in just as my father clapped Takashi on the shoulder. I came to a halt, wondering just how long Takashi had been there and wondering just what they had finished discussing. I felt a rush of anxiety and hoped it didn't show on my face as both my father and Takashi turned to look at me.

"And there she is. You have excellent timing, Sook. I just told Takashi that he was to have you back home by no later than one am. That should be plenty of time for you at the park. You two have fun now. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," my father teased, winking at me.

I had half-expected my father to escort us to the door, but he and Emiko stayed behind while Nobuyuki walked us to the front door. I was extremely conscious of Takashi's hand on the small of my back as we made our way down the hallway. Nobuyuki opened the front door, smiling kindly at us. "I hope you both have a pleasant evening," he bade, bowing low.

"I hope you do, too, Tanaka. I must say I do not envy you having to deal with my father this evening," I called over my shoulder with a grin. Nobuyuki did not answer, but he did wait until Takashi and I slid into the Morinozukas' limo before he retreated back into the house. Now that we were at least in a somewhat private setting, I shifted my gaze to Takashi and blurted, "I hope my dad didn't say anything too bad to you."

Takashi blinked slowly, tilting his head slightly as he looked at me. "Not really," he answered after a long moment, and I nodded as I bit down on my lower lip. I didn't want to ask if my father had mentioned our relationship not being allowed to last long, but at the same time I was dying to know. Of course, I didn't think Takashi would keep quiet if he'd decided to do the "correct" thing duty-wise, so I allowed myself to relax a little. "You look pretty."

The sudden comment surprised me, and I blinked up at him. His words finally registered, and I felt heat creep into my face. "Um, thank you," I answered quietly. He didn't reply, and I glanced over at him. It struck me that he was wearing a short-sleeved blue shirt with a sleeveless black jacket/vest over it, with a pair of dark washed jeans and black (probably designer) shoes. It was the type of outfit I hadn't seen him wear in a very long time, and I was fairly certain I sat there for a long moment just soaking the sight in. Briefly, I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before he'd made a comment about how I looked, but then I heard a soft chuckle, and I blinked out of my trance-like state, feeling my face burn hotter. Takashi was smiling slightly, and I realized I had been staring intently at him, and probably had been staring for a few minutes. I coughed awkwardly and managed to murmur, "You look handsome, as well," before we both lapsed into silence. I stared at my boots, unsure of what to say, unsure of what topic to bring up.

As it were, we didn't really have to talk. I felt Takashi's hand settle on mine (which was braced on the seat) and I glanced up at him to see his smile. I blushed and smiled back before sitting back and trying to relax for the duration of the ride. It wasn't a really long ride, honestly; we arrived within about ten minutes, and all of it was in comfortable silence. The limo stopped outside the amusement park, and a man was shortly opening the door. Takashi slid out, grasping my hand and pulling me out gently behind him. I smiled at the man who had opened the door and thanked him before Takashi and I set off towards the entrance.

Though he'd dropped my hand while we stood in line, Takashi did stand close by, as though he were guarding me – which in all honesty could have been possible. There were many people gasping and staring, and it wasn't hard to guess why since it was in our general direction. It was awkward, to say the least. I'd never enjoyed being gawked at, and this was no exception. Thankfully, the line moved quickly, and we were inside the amusement park before too long.

I unfolded the map we'd been given, smiling to myself as Takashi's hand came to rest on the small of my back, guiding me safely around benches and groups of people as I studied the map of the park. "It seems to go in a sort of circle, with random dead-end branches leading to other attractions. When we go up here, we can go ahead and turn to the right, and there will be a roller coaster almost immediately after," I announced to Takashi as I closed the map and folded it up. Takashi took it with his free hand and tucked it into one of his pockets, causing me to grin. His hand didn't leave my back as we walked to the first coaster and weaved our way into the line.

And thus began the cycle. At first Takashi didn't talk much, but each line we entered seemed to have a longer waiting time, and eventually we were simply having quiet conversations, pretty much about anything. We discussed martial arts and school and music, and he prompted me to tell some stories about people I'd met while on tours the past couple of years. I was in the middle of one such story while we were taking a break from riding roller coasters and were instead waiting in line to get something to eat—and that was when I felt the odd sensation that I was being watched intently, though it did not really feel malevolent. Unfortunately, that sort of sixth sense was honed very well since it was not unnatural for people to stalk me in America, and I had long since been able to discern what sort of interest said stalkers had.

I paused in telling my story, glancing over my shoulder with a perplexed look and making a slow perusal. Takashi interpreted it quickly, moving into a more protective stance as I searched the crowds of people nearby. Finally, I turned my head back up to Takashi with a frown. "What was I talking about?" I sighed, feeling no need to comment on what had just occurred. It was always possible someone had just noticed who I was and had proceeded to make sure of it before scampering off to join their companions. In any case, I didn't feel the stare (or stares) anymore, and I ended up shrugging it off as we stepped up to the window to place our orders.

* * *

><p>I found my hand clutching at Takashi's shirt violently as we walked with a small group of people through the park's Haunted House. He didn't seem to mind and pulled me closer to him, my side pressing firmly against his. I heard someone ahead of us stumble slightly, and they must have tripped some sort of switch because the lights suddenly went out. I went practically rigid and gripped onto Takashi's shirt tighter. Okay, this had definitely not been our best idea of the evening, but it had been one of the attractions along our route, and I had honestly thought we'd be sitting in a cart of some sort—not <em>walking<em>.

Someone grabbed onto my arm, and I bit back a scream as I jerked violently away from whoever it was, accidentally slamming my shoulder into Takashi's side. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and cradled against his chest. "It's all right, Tsuki," he murmured, brushing a kiss against the top of my head. I blushed darkly and turned my head into his neck, trying to calm down. I had never been able to stand watching horror or thriller movies, typically because my imagination ran amok when I did. But I'd never had a problem with haunted houses—likely because they were just so obviously fake. This one, however, had obviously been prepared and planned with great effort because it had only taken a couple of minutes for them to have me latched onto Takashi's side, and then only a couple more minutes to have me where I was now. I released a shuddering breath, nuzzling the crook of Takashi's neck and closing my eyes as I breathed in his scent.

I heard a clicking noise and dared to turn my head and open my eyes, taking note that our guide had turned on a flashlight and was aiming it in our direction. He was actually rather young, probably in his early twenties, and he told the rest of the group to stay put as he walked back to us. "I can have someone escort the two of you out the side entrance, if the two of you would prefer," he spoke quietly, though he was looking directly at me. He shifted his gaze to Takashi and added, "She looks like she's about to faint."

I felt my face flush in embarrassment, and I snapped, "I am _not_ about to faint!" The guide quirked a brow at me but did not comment, and the next person who spoke was Takashi.

"The side entrance sounds fine. Thank you."

The guide nodded and headed off somewhere before coming back with another person. Takashi lowered my feet to the floor, and I bit my lower lip, refusing to look at him (or the others) as our original guide told us this other person would escort us out. I knew none of what was going on was real, but it all reminded me a bit too much of one stalking incident gone bad—the only one that had. And it didn't help that I had a rather irrational fear of the dark. Takashi's hand against my back was my only signal that we were to start walking, and I had to force myself to pay attention to our new guide, who would occasionally point out switches on the ground.

We were back outside in a few minutes, and Takashi and I walked along in silence. I finally managed to muster an, "I'm sorry, Takashi." When he didn't respond, I continued. "You had to pay extra for us to do that, and I couldn't even make it halfway through. I didn't think I'd be so frightened by it. And I didn't think they would allow the workers to touch the people walking through." The last bit was said as an afterthought, but that had been what had caused most the problems.

Takashi suddenly stopped walking and lightly circled my wrist with his fingers, tugging me to the side and out of the way of passersby. His hand released my wrist and moved to tilt my face up, cupping my chin. I blinked at him in surprise, feeling my face heat up. His thumb lightly caressed my jaw, and I expelled a quiet breath I hadn't known I was holding. "Stop worrying. I have been through it with Mitsukuni before, so I am not missing anything. I should have known you would not like it," Takashi murmured softly, his onyx eyes searching mine imploringly, as though he were looking for forgiveness.

"Don't you dare turn this into your fault, Takashi," I snapped immediately. "It was my responsibility, and I was even the one who suggested we go inside. I'm not going to stand here and watch you try to twist it around. You couldn't have known I'd react like that, and if you continue to act like you're blaming yourself for this, so help me—I will be very put out with you." It was a very empty and vague threat, and with how Takashi's lips twitched, he obviously noticed it, too. But he seemed to acquiesce, and he slowly released my chin.

Stepping back slightly, Takashi let his hand settle on my back once more as he asked, "Where now, Tsuki-hime?"

I opened my mouth to object to him calling me that when I felt the weight of someone's stare on me, yet again. I knew it wasn't Takashi's, and I quickly glanced around the area without turning my head—I simply let my eyes sweep from left to right and back. It had felt the same as before, which made me wonder if someone was following us. The feeling was gone shortly after I'd done one more sweep of the general vicinity, and I pushed it to the back of my mind for the moment.

"I think there's a boat ride, like the type with a theme that typically has a really annoying song playing in the background. If you've ever been to _Disney World_, it'd be the 'it's a small world' ride. There's also a theme park in Georgia—one of the states directly above mine—that has sort of the same thing, but it's based around some odd monsters, and the only annoying thing about it is the horn at the end." I knew I was probably babbling, but if Takashi minded, he didn't say anything. Instead, he merely guided me through the ever-growing throngs of people. It seemed as though most people enjoyed coming later at night. Normally, I wouldn't blame them, since the nights were when the temperature dropped several degrees and the winds picked up—but that wasn't exactly ideal during the winter months, even if it was warming up just a little.

Of course, since it was a kid-friendly (and kid-oriented) ride, the line for that particular attraction was the longest of all the lines we had been in all evening. We fell back into our routine of quietly speaking, but it didn't last long since it was suddenly very quiet around us. I chanced a glance at the people surrounding us and found that they were all staring at me as though trying to solve a puzzle. I managed a smile but found myself instinctively shifting closer to Takashi.

I heard a young girl nearby pipe up and ask, "Mama! Is that Tsuki?!"

The mother's response was hushed, and I honestly wasn't sure I wanted to hear it. Thus far Takashi and I had managed to make it through lines without calling much attention to ourselves—well, to _me_, at least, since Takashi was kind of hard _not_ to notice—but we had obviously pressed our luck by waiting in line for a kid's ride. Though my songs were directed toward a teenage audience (whether early or late teens) there had been one song that had been specifically for kids, and unfortunately that song had been one of my more popular ones. It had even become the opening song for a ridiculous anime show about girls who had compatible DNA with animals and had to save the earth from an alien race, or the like; I wasn't entirely sure, honestly. **(4)**

Either way, though, the situation quickly got out of hand. Soon there were many people murmuring around us, and I was fairly certain Takashi and I were having our pictures taken. I groaned quietly in frustration, glancing up at my date. "I'm so sorry about this, Takashi."

The smile that spread across his face had my heart racing, and I heard him reply quietly, "There's no need to be sorry. No magazine or newspaper would post anything about a Morinozuka, for fear of the Haninozukas' response." I blinked in reply. That wasn't what I had been apologizing for, but it was a valid response since I hadn't elaborated enough to state my true meaning. But I could explain myself later.

It was a relief when we were finally allowed to get into one of the boats. It was big enough to seat eight people comfortably—four rows with two adults side by side—but apparently the workers felt bad for us and allowed the two of us in the boat on our own. I was extremely grateful, and I mouthed my thanks to them. They smiled and nodded back to us, and shortly we were going through a short, dimly-lit tunnel. I could hear the distant sound of some sort of music, and as such I allowed myself to relax.

Takashi relaxed, as well, and I allowed my head to lean against his arm. "It's a very childish ride, but at least it's semi-relaxing. The music sounds like it's going to be awful," I sighed, smiling wryly, even if he couldn't see it. Takashi did not reply, but his hand did lightly take a hold of mine, and I felt his thumb start lightly rubbing over the back of it. I closed my eyes as the doors to the first room opened, and I tried my best to block out most of the music that suddenly blasted our ears. It wasn't uncomfortably loud, but it was enough to where I slightly regretted this choice of ride. I still hadn't opened my eyes, so I wasn't sure what the theme was, but the words I picked up on made me think it was probably some sort of monster theme (that seemed to be quite popular).

"I remember one time when we rode a ride like this—it was Hiroshi, Tamotsu, Emiko, and me. That was a huge mistake. We were those kids that got out of the boat and ran along the landing before jumping back in." I laughed at the memory of it and felt Takashi's chuckle. We had been about eight or nine, old enough to know better and young enough to not fit the standard age group of kids who would do it. The looks on the worker's faces when we'd come back out had been enough to tell us there were cameras, and we'd all tried our best to look too cute to get thrown out—it had worked. The workers had laughed and quietly chastised us, but we were free to run off. We hadn't done it ever again, though Hiroshi had seemed like he was going to do it a couple weeks back at the theme park we'd gone to in a different city. He hadn't, though—which the rest of us were thankful for since we were fairly certain we wouldn't get out of it again—and we'd steered clear of the ride for the rest of the day so that none of us were tempted.

Sadly, all the kiddy boat rides were rather short, and within a couple minutes, we were back outside. I finally permitted myself to open my eyes and sit up straight. Takashi stood and stepped out of the boat before assisting me out of it, and we both took a short moment to stretch before heading down the exit pathway. "I think there are only a couple more coasters left. Shall we ride those and then go get some funnel cake?" I asked the older teen as his hand settled on my back once more.

"That sounds fine with me," Takashi answered, and I glanced up at him, slightly startled. I could tell by the way he was blinking that he was starting to get sleepy, and I knew we would likely be heading back to my father's estate soon—after we finished off some funnel cake, of course. I had mentioned it, so there was no way Takashi would let me go home until I got it. The thought made me smile as we weaved our way through the crowd to our next destination.

* * *

><p>It happened when we were in line for the last coaster in the circle we'd made. I had turned around to say something to Takashi when I felt the intense gaze fall upon me again, and that was when I saw them. I likely wouldn't have seen them if we hadn't been near the back of the line; in fact, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have—and the whole lot of them would have gotten away with it. Instead, however, I politely asked the people behind me to let me by, and it was rather easy to make it to the entrance (or in my case, improvised exit) of the ride. I heard Takashi's footfalls behind me, and I was glad he didn't try to stop me or ask me what I was doing.<p>

I had honestly half-expected them to at least try and get away. If they'd made a break for it, they would have quite easily made it out of the park before I could find them. As it were, they were all seated at a table, trying to seem nonchalant. If their disguises hadn't been so horribly obvious, I might have overlooked them. Unfortunately, the only one who even seemed to know that was the one who was clearly indifferent about it all, for he was simply writing in his little notebook.

I stalked over to their table, and I knew the moment they realized they were caught. They all seemed to wilt slightly, and one started practically wailing. I stopped directly in front of the wailing one and hissed, "Tamaki. _What_ are the five of you _doing_?" This only caused the blonde to wail even more, and he was soon hidden behind Kyoya, whose lips pressed together into a tight line, his displeasure evident. I figured Kyoya would have enough wrath to deal out to Tamaki without my addition, so I rounded on the other three. "Do you have _any_ idea how _frightened_ I have been almost all evening? It doesn't take long for my senses to kick into gear and tell me when I'm being watched. I have had far too many stalkers for my liking—and though I could tell there was no malevolence directed toward me from whomever was following me, it still did not keep me from nearly having a panic attack."

Mitsukuni frowned, pulling off his ridiculous mustache and hat. "We're sorry, Tsuki... We didn't mean to worry you. Besides, Takashi was with you, and he would never let you be hurt!" He knew that his quick tears wouldn't work on me (though they were probably the _only_ thing) and as such, he typically acted rather mature during moments like this.

"Mitsukuni," I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "Takashi was the one I was _worried_ about. Just because _I _don't feel malevolence doesn't mean someone wouldn't want to take it out on him. And there's not much he would have been able to do if whoever it was had a gun." I was fairly certain they probably thought I was paranoid, but there was a valid reason why I usually had so much security when on tour. It hadn't occurred to me that I might need to have someone with me when I was back home. Briefly, I actually wondered if my father didn't have someone looking out for me—I seriously wouldn't put it past him to hire a bodyguard for me.

The twins shared a glance before murmuring at the same time, "We didn't know it would upset you, Tsuki-hime. Please don't be mad at us!" I felt my eye twitch at the nickname they'd obviously adopted from Tamaki; I truly did not want it to become commonplace amongst the group.

"They're right, Tsuki-hime!" Tamaki wailed, finally venturing out from behind Kyoya. The blonde grasped both my hands in his as he looked at me imploringly. "We only wanted to make sure your date with Mori-senpai went well! We won't do it ever again; promise!"

I slowly felt my anger ebbing, and I made a frustrated noise as I extricated my hands from Tamaki's hold. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Tamaki. I know you guys won't be able to stop yourself from tagging along every now and then. But I'd prefer it if you _told me_ before you did it." My gaze shifted to Kyoya, who had been unnaturally silent throughout the entire discussion. "Ootori-san, you're at fault just as much as they are. I'm hardly gullible enough to expect an apology from you, but you could at least _pretend_ you feel some remorse for it all."

Kyoya took a moment to look up at me from his notebook, and I almost found myself taking a step back. His eyes were hard—maybe even cold—as he, well, _snapped_ at me, "Actually, Nakamura-san, if you must know, I have been seated at this table the entire duration of your and Mori-senpai's date."

I actually believed him before the others piped up with "it's true" and "yeah" and all other sorts of agreements. I frowned slightly as I held his gaze, wondering what on earth was wrong with him. He seemed angry, but I truly could not fathom why. Part of me wanted to ask him, but I knew that even if I did (and even if it had been privately) he would not tell me. Thus, I simply dropped my gaze to the ground before turning back to Takashi.

"Do you still want funnel cake?" he queried, not even hesitating or blinking at my guarded expression. I managed a smile and a nod, and he offered me his hand. I took it, squeezing it a bit more tightly than I likely should have.

I smiled at the other host club members, bidding them farewell until Monday, and then Takashi and I were heading to one of the many places that served funnel cake. I clung to his hand like it was my lifeline, not knowing exactly why it hurt so much that one of his close friends seemed fine with me one moment and then angry the next. He didn't say anything as we sat down at an empty table, and he didn't try to tug his hand away from mine as I picked at the funnel cake. It was when I had analyzed the look Kyoya had given me over and over inside my mind—and was basically just feeling nauseous—that Takashi finally spoke.

"Don't be upset." His voice was soft, and I glanced up at him inquiringly. "I saw his expression. All of us have received it at one time or another. He is not exactly angry with you. He is more likely angry with your carelessness of your well-being." **(5)**

I winced, even though I knew Takashi hadn't meant it like that. "I'm not careless, though. I take martial arts for a reason," I mumbled pathetically.

Takashi chuckled, using his free hand to brush my hair back from my face before he looked at me seriously. "Tsuki, how many people have stalked you? I know martial arts has honed your senses, but it still takes too many instances for a girl to realize she's being watched after a couple of seconds."

It hit me instantly. "Oh, please tell me I did _not_ say that out loud," I groaned. Takashi didn't answer, and I nearly cursed. "I cannot believe I even mentioned that. It... was really early on in my career. No one expected for me to become popular so quickly. It really wasn't that bad. Nothing...violent happened until after I already had several men assigned to guard me. And even then, I wasn't anywhere near being harmed. All the hate mail has mostly stopped, actually. Most of it stemmed from a tabloid that was quickly proved incorrect, and people got over it and moved on." I didn't really want to elaborate. That evening had been one of the most frightening ones of my life, and I had never been back to that city while on tour.

Takashi didn't press me for more information, and so we sat quietly for a few minutes as I slowly regained my appetite and quickly finished the funnel cake. Takashi briefly pulled out his cell phone to call his driver, and then we were walking out of the park's gates. I leaned into him when he slid into the backseat after me, and I felt him rest his cheek against the top of my head. His fingers lightly played with mine, and I smiled at the somewhat childlike gesture. The silence in the car was overwhelming, and I allowed myself to hum since I wasn't sure what to talk about. I could feel him getting tired, and he probably would have fallen asleep if the ride to my father's home had been just a few minutes longer.

He easily helped me out of the car, and we walked to the front doors of my father's estate. Suddenly feeling awkward, I smiled shyly at Takashi. "I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you for taking me. Thank you for...you know...giving us a chance." I ended up mumbling the last bit, sure that my ears were even pink from the blush I was now sporting. He smiled knowingly, and I shifted my gaze somewhere to the side of him. I bit down on my lower lip as I felt my heart start pounding and heard the blood rushing in my ears. I snuck a glance at him to find him looking down at me, his expression impossible to place. "Um..." I attempted to stall for time, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Good night, Takashi."

I'm not sure if he knew it was coming, and because of that, he had done something to accommodate for my short stature, but I managed to rock up onto the tips of my toes and lightly kiss him—and when I say lightly, it was possible that he may not have even felt the brushing of my lips against his hardly at all. I silently fell back onto my feet again, wishing I didn't blush so easily. I was honestly ready to slip into the house behind me to hide since I wasn't sure how he would react—would he be fine that I'd made the first move? angry? disappointed?—but Takashi's hand was suddenly cupping my chin, and I found myself staring into onyx eyes. My own eyes widened, and I felt my breath hitch as his nose brushed lightly against mine before his lips were pressed softly but firmly against mine.

It was a very mild kiss; his lips lingered against mine for a long moment, simply brushing back and forth—when I reflected on it later, I realized he was probably slightly teasing me, honestly. But at that moment, I was too giddy to even care. His lips were warm against mine, and I felt something akin to euphoria spread through me. And then it was over all too soon, and he smiled down at me before kissing my forehead and murmuring, "Good night, Tsuki-hime."

It wasn't until I was safely inside the foyer that I remembered how to breathe properly, and I felt myself start grinning like a fool. I was honestly going to enjoy telling my friends and my parents about my very first date—it had gone a lot better than I thought it would.

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> So I'm sure anyone reading this is probably going, "Uh, what the hell, DM?" That entire conversation is important because Emiko is noticing something that none of the others (except Hiroshi) have realized, and she's the only one who would be willing to call attention to it. By this point, Tsuki and Takashi have basically fallen into a routine of how they react around each other...while their feelings for each other are actually starting to dwindle. [/winces] Please don't kill me, because it has to happen. But let me explain: it's been seven years since they've seen each other. Their feelings never really "died" when they were separated, but they obviously were not going to act on them since there was no telling when Tsuki would be coming back. Seven years is a long time to harbor feelings for someone without reinforcing them, especially when you're that young. Now that they're back together, the spark is still there, but it's not really growing; nor is it going to, mostly because of her frustration with Kyoya (read **(2)** for more information on that one). Takashi is actually starting to feel more of a brotherly affection for her, and within the next couple of months, that's all it will be. So please don't be too angry with me about how "short" their relationship may seem. It's really lasted about seven years. xD

**(2)** Naturally, the first person to realize how Tsuki feels about Kyoya is her father. I say "naturally" because she and her father are practically the same. And when I say "how Tsuki feels about Kyoya" – I mean that she's starting to like him. He's a mystery to her, and that's something that appeals to her, whether she realizes it or not. Her rant shows that she's more intrigued by him than she cares to admit to her own self, and it also shows that she's irritated that he refuses to try and be friendly with her because he wants them to be friends; instead, he only has his rare moments because his father wants him to be friends with her. What she says about not having any inclination to break his walls down is entirely true, though. She expects him to build a door of sorts and welcome her in, even if it's only a little bit at a time. And Kyoya's going to do exactly that, in his own way. C;

**(3) **I'm always alluding to other parts of the story. I already know when this will be brought up again, and I'm calling attention to it because it is several chapters away. So just be prepared for an author's note when I bring it up in that chapter. :)

**(4)** If you know what show this is alluding to, send me a PM (do not say it in the review, because that would give it away)—and I'll give you a nice little preview of one of the upcoming chapters~ It's TsuKyo-centric, so it's bound to be good. xD

**(5) **That is not why Kyoya's angry. He'll apologize to Sook the next day, but since it won't necessarily be explained (since she's not going to know) I'm going to go ahead and fill you guys in. He's angry with her for making him angry at himself for being jealous but not knowing that he's jealous. (That makes so much sense, right?) Let me elaborate. What he said about not spying on her and Mori is completely true; the others were not simply covering for him. By this point, he likes her. Not consciously, but a part of him realizes it. The thought of her with Mori make something inside him rebel and rear its nasty little head. He doesn't like it because he doesn't understand _why_ it's happening. Thus, he gets irritable, and it just slowly builds until he finally gets angry with it—with himself. He's at least come to the conclusion that it's something about Tsuki that makes him mad—he just doesn't realize that it's because she's unavailable and everything in him is clamoring to be possessive of her and he...can't. (Well, technically he could, but that's not the Kyoya we all know and love.) [/shrug] So when she accused him of doing something he did not do, he simply had a reason to "lose his cool" and could not suppress his anger. Don't worry though; it will only be eating him alive for a couple more chapters (maybe a little less). Granted, by the time it's done, it will have been nearing two and a half to three months of torture for him, but...I can't rush things _too_ much. ^^;

And yet again I end it in a way I'm not too sure I'm happy with. I just had no idea how to work this one out... I'm also kind of conflicted about my next chapter. I had originally planned to make it a chapter that involved Mitsukuni's birthday dinner and that involved Kurisa showing back up, but... I don't know. I would actually rather summarize it since there's not much that will be involved. I was thinking of going ahead and skipping ahead to April because if I don't... well, I'm not sure how long it will take me to get the next chapter done. A lot of it would be filler—and I mean a _lot_.

Just let me know what you'd like. Would you prefer a chapter that starts to progress the plot along (and that will likely be out within a week or two) or would you prefer something that will likely take me a long time? I have to say, even if people would prefer to have Mitsukuni's birthday dinner and Kurisa showing up, I'm kind of leaning toward skipping that chapter so that I can get into writing this story again. This chapter really slowed me down, and I'm sorry for that. But Tsuki is _so much more developed in my mind_, and it just creates so many problems. It may not make sense to some of you, but if you've ever written a character who has three years of her life planned out in your head, it's just...a cacophony. I'd advise never doing it because she will rebel continuously.

On a side note, I have a friend who has posted her own story on this site~ It's yaoi, and it's between her male OC and Kaoru. Our characters (and therefore our stories) will be crossing paths when I finally get to the episodes. If you're interested, go check it out~? It's called _The First Snowfall_ by Twin Snow. Tsuki's already mentioned (end of the second chapter), and we have loads planned for these two characters (mostly mischief)~

Anywho, I would love any reviews you guys leave~ Well, aside from simply "this story sucks" or something akin to that; those sorts of reviews (and I have received one from an anonymous person; it's been deleted) are actually disheartening. Again, I'd like even a "cool story, bro." It just feels nice to know people are still reading it, and hopefully enjoying it. There will be TsuKyo soon. I _promise_. :D

And since I kept forgetting to mention it - this chapter's title goes with blink-182's song, "First Date." I figured it would work well enough for Tsuki and Takashi since almost everything that happened revolved around said date. xD [/is shot]

~**DM** ;)


	8. Uh Oh

_Disclaimer: Like everyone else, I could only wish I owned the rights to this manga/anime._

All-together now! [/flourishes hands] "FINALLY!"

Yes, I'm updating! I know it's been five months (and four days) but at least I'm _doing_ it. And I have good news, though it's also somewhat bad news. The good news is that I've already finished the next chapter (number nine) and have started chapter ten. The bad news is that the reason I've done all this is because I've been working at my mom's work. Around a month ago, they needed someone to fill in as a receptionist until they could find someone to hire (because they were apparently having a rough time with it _and _the woman who was doing it at that moment had vacation time the next week). So one lovely Monday morning my mom yells for me to get up and drags me to her work. For those of you who have never worked as a receptionist, it is quite possibly one of the most dull experiences I have ever had. The only benefit is that you're getting paid to sit there and basically do nothing. There's the occasional phone call and then there are the people who walk in to ask about jobs or what-have-you, but... really, you're paid money because it's so damn boring. Case in point - I wrote two and a half chapters in one week. Yeah, exactly.

And then I thought I was free after the second week (which was when I learned that I should just write to pass the time). I came back home after an impromptu trip to North Carolina and _then_ I get asked to come _back _in for a couple of weeks (at least) to help them out since someone who works in Claims had to quit because their family had to move. (Don't even ask me to explain what the department is because I'm not totally sure, aside from the fact that I deal with people who need to return products.) But mainly, I'm the go-to girl for whatever someone needs done, so long as it's something they think is easy enough for me (which, really, there's not much I have an issue with doing, so long as I'm not dealing with customers on the phone because that's just a horrible mix). So... I've decided that (since I haven't been given anything to do just yet today) I'd go ahead and post this chapter. And just for timing purposes (to hopefully get me on a schedule) - don't expect another chapter posted until next week. If I can get chapter ten written sooner, then I may post it early, but I'm still trying to work out the details for it since I don't _completely _know what I'll be doing in it. (Woops?)

Before I finish, I need to address a few lovely reviewers. C:

**Ashlyn Braere, **I'm glad you like it! And I'm sad that I take so long to post chapters, too. I know that I hate it when others do it, but I've done really well for this story (for me). My friend and I are co-writing a story on a different site (not _OHSHC_) and it's been, like, two years since we updated. All because she thought it'd be a great idea to assign me my favorite pairing and make me hate just about everything I wrote for them (even if it didn't suck; I've actually gotten something done on that, too, now). But anyway~ I hate it that I suck at updating... And thank you for the opinion on what this chapter should be! It actually helped me a lot, and it made me enjoy writing this that much more (even if I didn't update as quickly as I'd hoped). I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. It has quite a good bit of TsuKyo running through it~

**Theroadnottaken, **I really hope you know who you are because I wanted to thank you so much for taking the time to review this! It made me really happy to see that my story is appealing enough for you to encourage me. I hope I can continue to do well enough and have you continue to consider it one of the best ones. [/crosses fingers]

**KaylaWolf7621, **thank you! I really like Kyoya pairings, too~ I can only hope I'm doing him justice. (And I seriously cannot wait to start writing his and Tsuki's interactions in the episodes.)

Well, now that that's over with, I just wanted to say that I seriously enjoyed writing this chapter and the next one (mainly the next one, though) so I hope you guys like it! (And hopefully it'll keep me motivated to update more often. [/flails])

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter viii<strong>_

The next nine weeks went by rather quickly, though not entirely uneventfully. I was extremely busy getting my shows prepared for the summer tour, and since I had a new addition to my group, there was quite a bit to be worried about. My mother (and Kurisa's parents) had finally agreed to allow Kurisa to dance at my shows during the summer tour, which meant the choreographer we had paid for so many years was finally being put to decent use and finally doing what she was paid to do more often than not.

Aside from that, though, were the changes that had started in the Host Club, bad changes that I had barely managed to rectify. The Host Club, mostly because they charged a set entry fee, had started to lose quite a good deal of customers. Kyoya had set me to the task, and it hadn't taken long to figure out the problem. It took me the better part of an evening to come up with an idea to fix it, though, and when I had finally pitched it to Kyoya, he had almost immediately rejected it since it involved getting rid of the entry fee. I had silenced him with a look, however, and he (rather angrily) let me explain what I had simply taken to calling the "Points System."

It was rather simple, actually. The Host Club had always been lacking customers because of the charges most of the girls were not willing to pay; it made the club sound more risqué than it had already been perceived. I had taken a survey of the girls, and they had claimed that they would rather spend their money on something more tangible and long-lasting than a mere hour that they almost always had to share with others. I informed Kyoya that it would be simple to sell items any of the hosts had used, and that they would actually probably be very willing so long as they were told about it. It would also be easy to sell random photos or something else like that. Kyoya had eventually warmed to my idea and had given me a series of tasks to do before we implemented the new system, with a few tweaks of his own. Rather than simply start off just selling the items, he had online auctions for them, which included several items of mine (that I hadn't known about until _after_ some girl walked up to me to show me what she had won).

Needless to say, the Points System turned out to work better than either of us had imagined. The Host Club's customer rate went up exponentially – and at one point I thought that nearly every girl in the high school had to be coming to Music Room #3 at least one afternoon a week. The Host Club was eventually able to afford better furnishings and dishware, and slowly Kyoya started buying different sorts of drinks and snacks; those were definitely items they would not run short of. Unfortunately, all of this meant that whenever I could actually be there in the afternoons, I was typically running errands, and thus the time I spent with Takashi (at all) became extremely limited.

Of course, things there had changed, though I wasn't sure it was for the better. It had been at least two weeks since we'd gone on any sort of date and we hadn't done much talking in those two weeks. In all honesty, we hadn't done much of anything at all – not even look up for a short moment at each other across the room. Our last date had even been rather awkward. We hadn't had long together (maybe an hour) and we didn't do much but idly talk. Typically, even then we would have at least held hands or something, but that hadn't even happened. Granted, the talk hadn't been much of a decent one by the end since Takashi had been worried about how stressed I was, and he'd brought up said concerns. It hadn't really ended unpleasantly, but things definitely hadn't been very pleasant either. What worried me most about it, though, was that it hadn't taken me long to realize that I would probably have to call things off with him before summer break—and it hadn't been an upsetting thought; rather, I had felt slightly relieved not to have the stress of our awkward relationship be a worry. We hadn't had the chance to talk about it, though, and even so, I was fairly certain Takashi had likely come to the same conclusion. We had always been like that, and I wasn't particularly dreading the conversation.

But that was about where my luck ran out; long-term stress and I had never mixed well since it put more of a physical strain on me than any martial arts session ever could, considering it was constantly there.

And then it lasted just that one twenty-four hours too long. **(1)**

* * *

><p>"Nakamura-san?"<p>

I blinked up from the homework in front of me to see Kyoya and Tamaki standing before my desk. "...yes?" I queried after a short silence.

"Are you coming or not?" Kyoya replied, his patience with me running thin rather quickly. If I were to be honest, I was getting sick of how he almost constantly seemed annoyed or angry with me when I had done nothing to make him feel that way. If he didn't stop, I would not be accountable for my reaction when I finally snapped.

It only took a second of tuning into my surroundings to know it was time for lunch, and I motioned to the paper in front of me. "This is for German; I've been busy planning out the concert for the Host Club at the end of next month, and I completely forgot we had homework due today. You guys go ahead; if I finish in time, I'll find you." I went back to my homework without waiting for a response, but it took a long moment for the two to turn away and head out the door, speaking to each other quietly as they did so.

I finished my homework just as students started straying back into the room, which told me I did not have time to get to lunch. I sighed softly, trying to ignore my grumbling stomach and the pounding headache that was coming on. Kyoya and Tamaki returned shortly, and I distracted them quickly. "Kyoya, will you please look over that damned thing for me? I'm not entirely sure if anything I wrote makes sense," I muttered, glaring at the paper as I massaged my temples. Kyoya didn't question my request, and he picked the paper up, glancing through it all.

"I don't know why you're so worried, Tsuki-hime. You've been making high marks on everything in here; one little homework won't hurt your grade too much," Tamaki pointed out, and I simply shrugged in response.

Kyoya set the paper back down on my desk. "The words made sense, and the grammar structure is fine. If you lose any points, it will be for how simply structured you wrote it," the black-haired teen assured me as he seated himself.

I nodded and slumped against my desk; I was not looking forward to the last few hours of my day.

* * *

><p>It happened during Physical Education; go figure. The day was pleasant outside, and the teachers had decided we could play a friendly game of soccer—I'm sorry, <em>football<em> was the term they used, which, in America, we called soccer. It was easier for me to differentiate it that way, so I substituted the word "soccer" each time they said "football."

Now, sports and I typically do not mix. And with how horrid I was feeling that day, I knew we were going to have a row—I just didn't know who would win it.

It had all started off fine; Tamaki was even chosen to be on the same team I was. Kyoya, however, was not—but he was on the team who actually played the game well. My team was mostly on the defensive side of things because we could never get the ball and keep it. I don't know which _idiot_ thought I should be given the position that constantly required me to run, but it became obvious to me, rather quickly, that I was not going to manage it for long.

I stumbled to the goal and supported myself against one of the posts when the shaking started. My head was pounding, my vision was blurry, and I was extremely dizzy. It didn't help that the gnawing hunger in my stomach was making itself very obvious, and I felt my heart start beating erratically before it developed into palpitations. "Tsuki-hime, are you okay?" I heard Tamaki ask softly. I managed to shake my head as I felt my body start trembling from a cold sweat, and Tamaki helped lower me to a sitting position on the ground.

It's going to sound crazy, but I felt even dizzier in that position. However, when I tried to move my arms so I could lie down, I just couldn't. "Tamaki, go get Kyoya," I managed to mumble. It must have been the fact that I even used Kyoya's first name that caused him to jump up and run across the field, but what surprised me most was that Kyoya even came running back with him. He knelt down on the ground beside me, and I blinked against the blackness crowding in on my vision.

"Do you want me to call the hospital?" Kyoya's usually calm voice sounded odd, but I couldn't place the note at that exact moment.

"No, I don't want you to. But you might need to because...on top of everything, I'm having heart palpitations. I've never had those before," I murmured, and I imagined I likely sounded giddy. "I'm cold, too..." I felt an arm go around my waist and help pull me up, and it was then that the worst wave of dizziness hit. I tried to take in a deep breath, but somewhere along the line I had started to hyperventilate, and it was useless. I slumped against Kyoya just as I blacked out. **(2)**

* * *

><p>When I opened my eyes, I hissed at the bright light that assaulted them and clamped them shut once again. Instinctively, I had moved both my hands toward them, but a hand on my right wrist kept it from getting too far.<p>

"You have an IV in your right hand. Be careful with it," Kyoya instructed softly, and I assumed the hand that released my wrist was his. "Will one of you turn off the main light?"

I heard a clicking sound and slowly ventured to open my eyes again; there was enough light to see by, at least, which was probably from something behind the bed I was in. "Ugh. I really do hate passing out," I mumbled, earning a chorus of chuckles. I glanced at the foot of my bed to see five males—the Host Club, minus Kyoya, who was instead standing beside my bed with my father. I smiled gingerly at my father, mouthing an apology. He simply shook his head at me, returning my smile with a slightly sad one of his own. I allowed myself to assess whatever damage may have been done to my body, and I barely suppressed a noise of pain as I realized that just about everything ached. "What good is an IV if they didn't give me anything for pain?" I muttered irritably.

"Actually, they gave you hydrocodone. Is it not working?" Kyoya answered, and I shifted my gaze to him. He was as calm and composed as always, and it irked me that even now he was still speaking to me with polite detachment.

I gritted my teeth before wincing in pain. I'd think twice before doing that again. "Why on earth do I feel like I was run over by a truck repeatedly?"

"Because you went without proper sustenance for over twenty-four hours and then decided to play soccer when your body was telling you not to," Kyoya responded rather harshly. "When you have hypoglycemia and don't take care of it, that tends to happen."

I looked over at him like he was crazy. "Hypoglycemia? _Me_? That is absolutely—" I stopped mid-sentence, because it made sense. Eating without gaining much weight at all; feeling horrible when I didn't eat; feeling horrible if I ate just a little too much sugar at once... "Oh, jeez. Well, there goes my favorite food group," I sighed, trying to make light of the situation. A few people rose to the occasion, and soft chuckles resounded in the nearly-silent room.

"This is not something to be joking about. With the amount of sugar you usually intake, it's surprising you haven't gone into a sugar coma at some point, Nakamura-san," Kyoya snapped, his voice harsh.

And that was when he pushed me too far. I forced myself up into a sitting position and glared at him. "Look, I don't know what the _bloody hell_ your problem is, _Ootori_, but I'm getting sick of you always snapping at me! I can't make a single move around you without pissing you off! I've dealt with your short temper for the past two months straight, and I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm sorry that apparently by simply _breathing_ I manage to make you angry, but if everything about me bothers you so damn much, then _stop hanging around me_. Your disapproval just...it hurts; I don't know why your approval matters so much, but it does. But I don't know how to make you approve of me, and I'm sick of trying." **(3)**

I fought back the tears I could feel forming, knowing that it was from a multitude of things, but most of them stemmed from having to actually face what I'd been feeling, underneath the anger. No one spoke, whether out of pure astonishment at my sudden outburst, or out of curiosity as to how Kyoya would respond—I wasn't going to know. A couple of nurses and a doctor came bursting in, and it was then that I heard the insane beeps coming from my monitor.

"All right, everyone out!" one of the nurses snapped, pointing at the door. "There are way too many of you. Once we know she's fine again, only three of you are allowed in here at a time."

They all filed out as I fell back against the bed, closing my eyes. "It's not their fault. I got mad at someone," I mumbled to the nurse nearest me. I felt a cold cloth rest on my forehead, and I sighed softly.

"Then that 'someone' doesn't need to come back in here," a woman's voice answered. I didn't say anything, and after they had assured themselves I was fine, they started to leave. "We'll be bringing dinner by shortly," the same woman spoke, and I nodded.

I heard soft footsteps, but I didn't open my eyes until the door closed. My father, Takashi, and Mitsukuni were all watching me worriedly. I smiled weakly at them all, though I knew that sometime during the night I'd be crying; I had too many pent up emotions not to. "I'm fine," I managed to tell them.

"It didn't sound like it a few minutes ago," my father answered wryly, moving to the side of my bed and reaching out to take my hand.

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling as I thought about how to word my thoughts. "The timing was rather poor, wasn't it?" None of them said anything, and I swallowed back a sob. "I've been stressed for the past two months; some complications came up with the summer tour, and then I forgot about the concert I was giving for the Host Club next month. On top of the problems that were happening with the Host Club's finances, that _I_ mostly fixed—his constant, thinly-veiled annoyance with me just toppled the very precarious pile of things." I honestly didn't want to talk about it to them yet, if at all. Which was why I changed the subject abruptly by asking, "Uh, has anyone called Hiroshi and told him that I'm in the hospital?"

What proceeded would have been humorous on normal occasions, but I wasn't feeling particularly euphoric. It didn't help that Mitsukuni was giving me a look that reminded me just how old he was and how mature he could (rarely) be; it was also a look that said he had a lot he intended to talk to me about. And _that_ was a conversation I was going to be dreading.

* * *

><p>That evening involved many awkward conversations. The one I'm not going to go into detail about (since there isn't very much) was the one I had with Takashi about ending our relationship. He'd actually brought it up, surprisingly, and I think both of us were relieved to have that finally off our plates. I knew he'd still be concerned about me—he'd said as much—but he'd made me realize why things had turned so weird between us. Or rather, Mitsukuni made him realize, and he'd felt the need to enlighten me. Somewhere in the past couple of months (or maybe even before then) the affection Takashi and I felt for each other had altered. We expected certain reactions from ourselves, and because of that, we knew what to look for and could apply them to the situation as needed, but there wasn't really any physical attraction there anymore. We'd experimented, both of us unsure what to expect, and though it had been pleasant, it hadn't been anything that caused a reaction I had expected to find before. Things were fine, though. I was perfectly content to be friends with Takashi, and leave it at that.<p>

But apparently Mitsukuni wasn't finished with his assistance.

I had been happily munching on the McDonald's cheeseburger (with only ketchup) that Hiroshi had snuck in for me when Mitsukuni, Hiroshi, and my father all shared a few three-way glances before looking at me. I tried to shrink back into my bed, not sure what their looks meant. "What?"

"You and Kyoya need to talk," Hiroshi answered bluntly. I winced, and he quickly continued. "You both deserve an apology from each other."

I frowned, setting my food down. "I'm sorry, but why should I apologize to him?"

"You said some really hurtful things to him earlier, Tsuki-chan," Mitsukuni replied softly, smiling sadly at me. "You scared him, you know. Tama-chan said that when you passed out on Kyoya, he didn't hesitate to thrust his phone at Tamaki, pick you up, and run you to the front of the school. Kyo-chan doesn't know how to react when he's worried; he just instinctively tries to shut down, and usually he tries to become detached. That's why he was acting the way he was, and he had a reason to get angry with the jokes you were making... All of us were worried about you and the foods you eat."

I closed my eyes, releasing a frustrated sigh. "I have already said the timing was not exactly great, but his harshness earlier was not simply the first time. He's been snapping at me over the littlest things for the past two months. I had thought it was simply because of the problems with losing customers, but if anything, he's simply gotten worse since I helped him fix it. I... I'm tired of trying to be his friend when he obviously doesn't want me to be—and I sure as hell have no reason to try and force a friendship." Talking about this wasn't exactly easy for me; I hated the feeling of tears burning behind my eyes, and I knew if we kept discussing this, it would only end up with me crying over something when I wasn't even sure why I was hurt—or if I even had a reason to feel hurt.

"But Kyo-chan _does_ want to be your friend," Mitsukuni murmured, and I opened my eyes to blink at him.

Hiroshi, however, was the one who continued, "He does. Obviously, he hasn't said it in so many words, but... I could tell when I got here this evening that he was upset about something. When the others filled me in, I was actually slightly shocked to hear what had happened. I really don't think he meant to hurt you. And I don't think you meant to hurt him either this evening, but you definitely did. That's why you need to apologize to him, too."

I shifted my gaze to my father, waiting for him to throw his two cents in, and he laughed and held up his hands. "Those two said just about everything that needed to be said. I will add that I took the liberty of asking him to stay until after you were finished eating—though I did not elaborate as to why."

I let my head fall back against a pillow, casting my eyes up to the ceiling. "Fine. You guys win. I'll talk to him," I muttered, and I could easily imagine the relieved expressions on their faces. They likely had not expected me to give in so quickly, but I was actually starting to grow tired of having so many people in such a small room. I would have given anything to be alone right then, for just a few minutes, and I figured the easiest way to reach that goal was to face Kyoya, and hope that they'd all go home after.

I felt a hand on my left arm, and I lifted my head to see Mitsukuni smiling at me. "Thank you, Tsuki-chan. This really means a lot to us." He practically jumped in my bed as he hugged me, and I almost laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay~?" he chirped, beaming, before he turned and left.

"We'll be outside if you need us," Hiroshi stated, waiting for me to nod before he and my father walked out of my room.

I glanced down at the tray of food and pushed it away from me so that I didn't have to worry about it and could sit a little more comfortably. I looked up when I heard the door shut quietly, and I managed a rather weak smile for the black-haired boy. He walked towards me and stopped at the foot of my bed, saying nothing as he regarded me with a somewhat wary expression. He finally spoke after the silence had gotten a bit tense. "I asked them to change the pain medication. Is it working any better?"

I felt a pang of guilt at the same time that I felt a flash of anger, and I struggled to push both emotions aside. Mitsukuni had said he basically retreated into himself (even more, if that were possible) and I assumed that in doing that, he fell back onto normal, routine statements and questions that a stranger—or really, in this case, a doctor—would possibly say and ask. With a soft sigh, I finally nodded in answer to his question. "Yes, it is." I paused for a moment, meeting his gaze as I added, "Thank you."

Kyoya simply nodded in response, and it was silent once again.

This time, I broke it. "Earlier, I snapped at you." He blinked, and I was a little surprised that _he_ was surprised. Everyone had always said I didn't do well with slowly leading into something. "I cannot honestly say that I felt—or feel—like I was wrong for saying it, but I'm not proud of it, either. Especially since I was told that I might have inadvertently hurt you in the process." His expression of surprise didn't change, and I took a moment to assess my next words. "You are quite possibly one of the most maddening people I have ever known. I've been here for four months—and oddly enough I've spent most of it with or around you—but I still don't understand half the things you do. I knew in the beginning that you were able to easily slip into polite detachment with people you didn't know. I respected that, and didn't try to—or really care to—attempt a friendship with you. The way I saw it was that you needed to have some sort of alliance with me, for your father's sake, and I didn't mind helping. I don't know when that changed, but it slowly started to bother me that after an entire month, we were still acting like complete strangers towards each other. My father told me it was because I had never changed my demeanor around you, and that I would have to be more open with you if I ever expected us to have a possibility of talking without the forced pleasantries. So I decided I could at least attempt it—and it had seemed like it was working. Then, when I saw you the night I was out with Takashi and made a hasty accusation, instead of correcting me politely you looked at me with something that seemed quite close to hatred and bit out an angry retort."

I looked down at the sheets on my bed and fiddled with them for a moment before continuing, "And that was when it all changed. You practically gave up even trying to be pleasant with me, while I literally racked my brain for everything I could possibly do to fix the issue without...well, fixing myself. I've never been desperate enough to change myself to get someone to be friends with me, but then again I've never been around someone who willingly spends time with me when he obviously does not want to. For a while I had thought it might be the loss of customers, and I just happened to be one of the unlucky ones dealing with your bad attitude. But then when I helped fix the issue, it honestly only seemed like you were getting worse. My patience wore thin, and you finally just pushed me too far today. I'm in a bloody hospital, for goodness sake." I heard (and felt) myself emit a bitter laugh and shook my head. "But snapping at you didn't really make me feel any better about it all, especially since everyone keeps bringing it back up. So even though I honestly _think_ I was justified in what I said, I still _feel_ bad about it, and... I'm sorry. What I said was rather harsh and possibly a bit on the melodramatic side, but at the time it summed up how I felt." I paused before feeling the need to add, "And I meant every word. If hanging around me is such a bother to you, I'd really prefer it if you just didn't hang around me at all. I really don't like being snapped at for basically just breathing." I tried to soften the last bit with a weak, wry smile, but I wasn't sure it worked.

Kyoya studied me with a frown, his arms folded across his chest—or, well, actually, it was closer to his stomach, and it honestly looked a bit like an emotional defense. It was close to the sort of way I held myself when I was uncomfortable in a situation, except there was something slightly different about his stance. There was a long silence as I waited for him to say something, and eventually I just looked away from him, swallowing back what was likely to be a sob or something equally as embarrassing. I had just done something I hardly ever did—explained myself and my actions before apologizing even if I thought I had the right to react the way I had—and he wasn't even going to _say anything_. I wasn't (nor had I been) expecting an apology, but it would have been nice if he had at least accepted _mine_.

"It's not you."

I blinked, turning my head back towards him. "Excuse me?" I was completely baffled by his statement.

"Well, I guess it is you, but not in the way you think," Kyoya elaborated, though he was still being completely vague. The small smirk that quirked his lips made it obvious he was purposely using a vague response. "I truly do not mind your company. It's honestly rather refreshing more often than not. I don't always know what response I'll get, but it's usually something interesting rather than annoying." He looked like he wanted to add something, but he apparently stopped himself. "I cannot explain why, but these past two months I have been attempting to make you angry enough with me so that you would choose to stop engaging in discussions with me."

I held up a hand to keep him from continuing. "So... you were trying to... what? Push me away?" The phrase sounded ridiculous, but it was the easiest way to sum up what he was saying.

Kyoya seemed to have the same sentiment because he made a somewhat pained and exasperated expression before he answered, "Yes. There was something about you that irritated me, and it took me some time to realize it wasn't your personality, nor was it your fault. I realized the latter when you managed to get all of us kicked out of here." His lips twitched as though he wanted to smile, but he didn't (of course) since he continued speaking. "I was not aware that I was upsetting you that badly. I was also unaware that you were attempting to be my friend, though it certainly makes sense now that I know. I had been quite confused by your resilience every time I snapped at you."

I sighed, shaking my head and smiling slightly. "Somehow I'm not surprised that you didn't realize it. I guess the easiest way would have been to be blunt and obvious about it like Tamaki was."

He actually made a face to show what he thought of that before retorting, "That would not have been very wise. Such an approach would have been more likely to succeed in making me ignore you."

I laughed before wincing at the slight pain that brought. "It was a joke, Ootori-san. Could you honestly imagine me jumping up and down and alternating between English and Japanese? And I most certainly would not have clung to you and rubbed my face against yours. That's something I would likely never do with _anyone_ in my lifetime."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I can agree with that. Watching you with Mori-senpai is enough evidence to attest to that statement."

I normally would have laughed at that, but I bit down on my lower lip instead, and I began fiddling with my sheets again. "Speaking of Takashi... I suppose now is as good a time as any other to tell you that we won't be doing any more 'shows' for the clients. I mean, I know we haven't been doing much lately, anyway, but..." Pausing, I took a deep breath before deciding to get it over with, "Takashi and I broke up this afternoon."

Kyoya blinked in surprise (quite possibly at the sudden change of subject) before he frowned. "The way you phrased that sounds as though neither one of you did the actual breaking up part of it."

"Well, Takashi brought it up, so I guess technically he broke up with me, but we both knew it was going to happen. Mitsukuni was the one who decided to bring certain details to Takashi's attention, and he decided today would be easier than sometime in the next week." I shrugged. "It's going to sound horrid, but both of us are actually relieved. It was more stressful trying to force the relationship to happen when neither of us really wanted it anymore." It was then that I realized I was talking to _Kyoya_ about this, and I felt heat creep up my neck and steal into my face. "Er, sorry; I kind of forgot who I was talking to. That wasn't a necessary addition when all you were concerned with was if it was a unanimous decision." He didn't answer, so I took it as an affirmative. My eyes wandered to the clock nearby, and I blinked in surprise. It was a lot later in the evening than I had expected. "Oh, wow—I didn't know it was that late already. No wonder Mitsukuni told me goodbye before they sent you in here. You need to go home and get some sleep. I would think it's been a rather stressful day for you, considering all that's gone on. And you were already looking rather horrid this morning. I don't know what it is you do, but I don't think anything is more important than sleep. Take it from the girl who doesn't stay awake voluntarily." I flashed him a smile, and to my surprise he returned it.

"Well, I hope you have a pleasant evening, then. Typically, they'd like to have you stay here for another night, but I'll come by tomorrow afternoon to see about them releasing you early." I nodded, and he turned around to walk out. I closed my eyes and relaxed back into my bed, though I promptly opened them when I heard him say, "Oh, and Nakamura-san?" He had stopped at the door, his hand on the door handle, and he was looking over his shoulder at me. "I forgot to apologize earlier. For being so rude to you these past few months." When he paused, I assumed that was all I'd get, but then I heard him softly murmur, "I'm sorry." And then he opened the door and slipped out of my room. **(4)**

And so my best friend and my father found me blinking in shock with my mouth slightly agape; in response to their silent questions, I simply stated, "He actually apologized."

They shared a look and smiled.

* * *

><p>The following Monday was when it started.<p>

I had left with my first period teacher during our first break so that I could get an assignment I had missed the past Friday. It apparently hadn't occurred to Kyoya or Tamaki to get my assignments for that one day, so I figured that would be what I'd have to do after each class. When I got back, a pack of crackers had been left on my desk, though I hadn't noticed them until after I sat down. I frowned slightly and glanced over my shoulder in Tamaki's direction; he smiled at me as I held the crackers up questioningly, and I simply assumed he'd left them. I had to admit I was slightly hungry, and so I simply opened them and started eating one.

The same thing happened later on that day, before my last class. One of the girls who had finished getting dressed in her "gym clothes" came back into the changing rooms to deliver some more crackers. I shook my head with a sigh and took them, thanking her and putting them in my bag.

"Um... I was told that you needed to eat them before we started class," the girl murmured. "And to watch to make sure you ate at least one..."

I frowned, but I knew the girl would more than likely listen to Tamaki over me, so I fished them back out of my bag and opened them before tossing one in my mouth. The girl smiled and promptly walked back out of the dressing room, leaving me to debate over eating more than one. I decided against it since I needed to do the warm up stretches and was one of the last girls changing.

I walked out of the dressing room when I finished changing, and I easily found Tamaki and Kyoya in the gym since just about every girl was turned so they could watch them. I walked over to them and started doing the assigned stretches, aware that most of the students in our class probably thought our trio strange.

"Tamaki?" I queried during one of the stretches, and he smiled over at me. "Why did you make that poor girl watch me eat a cracker?"

The blonde blinked, furrowing his brows. "What on earth are you talking about? I didn't make anyone do anything."

I sighed, moving to sit on the floor so I could do the last of the stretches. "They were the same crackers as this morning, Tamaki. If you're trying to act like you didn't make the girl do it, you shouldn't use the same snacks."

"This... morning?" Tamaki murmured before his face lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Oh! I didn't leave those."

I abruptly stopped stretching. "Then who did?"

The blonde shrugged, placing a hand on his hip. "I wasn't watching."

I suddenly felt cold, and I'm fairly certain the blood probably drained out of my face; things like this—someone leaving me food or any item, really—never boded well for me. I didn't have the opportunity to express my concerns to either of them, because we were suddenly called to attention so the teachers could explain what we were doing that day. I shook off the bad vibes I had and tried to keep from fretting over it; it was always possible that Tamaki _had _left them and was just playing around.

* * *

><p>The same thing happened over the next few days, and it was Friday when I finally wasn't sure what to do about it anymore. I knew Tamaki well enough to realize he was telling the truth when he said he wasn't the one leaving anything, though I was almost certain he had to know who was leaving the snacks, which led me to believe my initial worry was likely just me overreacting because of my experiences back in America. At least, that was what I hoped. I simply figured I'd have to find out a way to get Tamaki to tell me. It wasn't until after clubs on Friday that it occurred to me to ask Kyoya—and really, I should have thought of asking him before. He made it his business to notice the small things; surely he wouldn't have missed something like someone leaving food on my desk.<p>

I was with the hosts, which had become the norm for my Friday evenings. We had finished eating dinner at the Ootori Estate and were simply wasting time with idle chatter. I stood and stretched slightly, intending to head to the restroom when Kyoya stopped me and stood as well. "The bathroom you are used to is currently being renovated," he explained when I blinked at him, and I hummed to show I understood. He started walking, and I easily fell into step beside him. Since I wasn't sure how close the bathroom would be, I didn't want to start a discussion, and so I waited until we were returning to the sitting room before I ventured to ask him about the snacks I kept receiving.

"Ne, Ootori-san?" I queried when we had started down one of the many hallways. He glanced over at me, so I felt it safe to continue. "Tamaki is either completely oblivious or is simply toying with me, so I was wondering if I could get an answer from you about who has been leaving food on my desk and sending girls into the dressing room before our last period."

Kyoya smirked, pushing his glasses up. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

I made a face before muttering, "Obviously I have not. And I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't be cryptic."

"Simply think it through, Nakamura-san. Who could know your schedule well enough to have someone deliver snacks to you, or have someone leave snacks on your desk? Aside from Tamaki, of course." He sounded way too amused for my liking, and I simply frowned as I did as he said and thought about it.

The snacks were not always left on my desk at the same time during the morning, considering I didn't always leave after first period to go do something. Yet it never failed that at some point before lunch, I would have _something_ left on my desk. That meant it at least had to be a classmate leaving the food there, and it was never the same girl bringing me the snacks before physical education. I assumed that meant it had to at least be a guy sending the food, since a girl would just as easily give it to me in the dressing room herself. Not to mention, I didn't know any girl who could make another girl watch me eat something. For that matter, there probably weren't very many _guys_ who could—

I stopped walking and blinked at the back of Kyoya's head. "Ootori-san?"

Kyoya stopped walking and turned around to look at me. "Hm?"

"_You_? You're the one who's been leaving the food on my desk _and _making those poor girls watch me eat something before physical education?" I was stunned; I truly was.

"I don't see why you're so surprised," he commented, his hands slipping into his pockets.

I fought for the proper words, not sure how to even begin explaining it. "I guess because I expected you would have said something to me, or tried a more direct approach. Apparently I haven't shown paranoia around you enough, or you wouldn't have approached the situation the way you did. I was literally scared out of my wits these past few days. In America it was common for me to get... gifts, for lack of a better word. They usually weren't safe, or they encouraged behavior that shouldn't have been encouraged. I've learned not to believe those types of people exist in one certain place, and this was the sort of behavior I've been taught not to encourage without at least some caution."

Kyoya looked thoughtful before he shrugged. "No harm was done, and it seemed to be the only approach at the time. We both know you would never have eaten as much as you did if you knew I was trying to make you eat."

I almost opened my mouth to remonstrate with him, but I kept it shut because he was right. More than likely, I would have taken the food from him but wouldn't have eaten any of it, just because I wouldn't have liked that he was trying to make me eat more often throughout the day. That still didn't keep me from being slightly irritated at the roundabout way he went with his scheme, however, and I narrowed my eyes at him to show my displeasure before I started walking again. I saw a flicker of annoyance cross his expression as I stalked past him, and he stayed a few steps behind me as we made our way back to the sitting room.

I sat down in the same place I had been before, but Kyoya moved to sit next to Tamaki. Apparently that was enough for the hosts to know something had happened because Hikaru and Kaoru promptly seated themselves on either side of me, slinging their arms across my shoulders. "We can't leave you two alone for even a few minutes," Hikaru sighed.

"You always manage to find something that irritates both of you," Kaoru agreed. **(5)**

"And then we have to deal with the awkwardness of it," they both finished in unison.

Hikaru leaned closer, making himself comfortable as he rested against my side. "So what happened this time, Tsuki-hime?"

I didn't even correct his nickname for me since it had basically become commonplace amongst the hosts—minus Kyoya, of course. "I finally found out who's been leaving food on my desk and having girls bring me food before my last class," I answered. "I know for a fact that he's heard me questioning Tamaki about it, but he didn't speak up at all."

Hikaru and Kaoru laughed, and I felt Kaoru finally relax against my side in much the same position as his brother.

"It sure took her a while, didn't it?" Hikaru queried.

"Yeah; we thought she knew already," Kaoru sighed. "But I do understand why she's upset. And that explains why she's been acting odd this past week."

I blinked in surprise. Had it been that obvious that I was fretting over something? Granted, considering how freaked out I'd originally been, it probably _had_ been. But the way Kaoru was speaking made it sound like he'd known I'd been paranoid and worried that something would happen every time I turned around.

"If I were her, I'd be mad at Tamaki, too," Hikaru randomly added, and said boy blinked in confusion. "He knew Kyoya was the one leaving the food, and he lied to her about it."

"Huh. You're right, Hikaru. He _did _lie to me, didn't he?" I murmured.

Tamaki suddenly wailed, "Don't be mad at me, Tsuki-hime! Kyoya said you wouldn't eat the food if you knew he'd been the one trying to make you eat it! I just didn't want you to end up in the hospital again! I'm sorry!" He'd started flailing around while he continued to rant, and when he nearly hit the black-haired teen beside him, Kyoya narrowed his eyes at the blonde and snapped at him to be quiet. The room went deadly quiet, minus the snickers coming from Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Tamaki, did I _say_ I was mad at you? I simply said Hikaru was correct that you had lied to me. I didn't say anything about being angry, and I'm fairly certain nothing in my tone suggested I was angry," I remarked. "There was no need in such a melodramatic response since I'm not angry at you."

"But Tsuki-chan, why are you mad at Kyo-chan?" Mitsukuni suddenly piped up. "All he did was try to make you eat more often during the day. That's what the doctors told you to do. He's just making sure you do what they said."

I sighed, closing my eyes momentarily before opening them again and looking at the shorter blonde boy. "I don't care that he was trying to make me eat more often. What irritates me is that he didn't stop to think through all his options. Making me paranoid about eating food did not help and was most certainly not the easiest way, when all he had to do was get Tamaki to give me the food and nag at me until I gave in so he'd shut up."

Hikaru and Kaoru laughed again. "That would defeat the point, though," they retorted.

I furrowed my brows and looked between the two of them. "Defeat _what _point?"

Hikaru lightly patted my head. "Don't worry about it, Tsuki-hime. You'll figure it out sometime."

"Yeah," Kaoru added, "when you're older."

I closed my eyes, trying for patience. "I'm older than both of you."

"You may be physically older than us," Kaoru agreed. "But there are definitely things we know more about."

Hikaru grinned at me before adding, "Things in which we're mentally older than you."

I found myself laughing softly and shaking my head, "I'm not sure how, but that does actually make rather twisted sense."

"Which is why you should trust us and make nice with Kyoya again," the twins stated as they rested their chins on top of my head.

I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at them, and my gaze shifted to meet Kyoya's. "Do you want them to shut up as much as I do?" I queried, and his lips twitched as he inclined his head, which I took as an affirmative response. "I thought so. Shall we call a truce, then?" '_...however temporary it may be.'_

Kyoya pushed his glasses up as he answered, "I suppose."

Nudging the twins, I muttered, "You can both get off me now."

Kaoru laughed. "Why would we do that?"

"All you're going to do is find a way to leave if we do," Hikaru added, and I cursed them beneath my breath. They both pulled away in mock offense, but Hikaru was the one who decided what they did next, and I wasn't expecting it. One moment I was sitting up and scowling at the two twins, and the next I was rolling around in the floor trying to get away from them as they tickled me, which proved to be a difficult feat as I reflexively laughed.

Several flashes of light in the dimly lit room interrupted our antics, and I heard Kyoya's exasperated sigh right before I heard, "Oh, this should turn out really well!"

I blinked from my spot on the floor and sat up, looking in the direction of the doorway. A familiar, raven-haired woman stood in its entrance, holding a digital camera as she squinted to try and see the details of the picture she had just taken. "Good evening, Fuyumi~" I chirped, sitting up and brushing my hand through my hair briefly. I stood up as she walked over to me, and a moment later Kyoya was beside me.

"Fuyumi, what are you doing here?" As I had noticed was custom with his sister, Kyoya sounded somewhat exasperated, but there was genuine warmth behind it that softened what would have been a biting edge.

"I heard laughter, and I followed it," she answered simply with a grin. When Kyoya simply gave her a look, she waved her hand at him. "Now, Kyoya, there's no need for that. Father asked me to come over. Since he's busy, I found something to preoccupy myself with, and then I heard Tsuki laughing. When I found you, I happened upon a cute scene that I felt should be photographed. I find it oddly entertaining, so I almost always have a camera with me now." She shifted her gaze to me and beamed. "I'll send you a copy the moment I get it transferred to a computer." I would have opened my mouth to tell her there was no need, but she didn't give me the chance. "Okay, okay. I know when I'm not wanted. I'm going, Kyoya." She laughed good-naturedly as she turned around and left us to ourselves again.

I smiled fondly as I watched her walk away, and then I glanced at Kyoya. "Is it possible to ever get used to her antics? She kind of makes me think of a female Tamaki, just less obnoxious and a lot more easygoing about how you treat her. Granted, she probably knows you love her, so it makes sense that she doesn't freak out like Tamaki does. Or randomly cultivate mushrooms in a corner." I added the last bit simply for my own amusement because it was probably one of the most adorable things he did when he was playing at melodramatic depression.

Kyoya's gaze was still on the hallway Fuyumi had taken, and his lips curved just slightly in a genuinely warm smile; though it was fleeting, it was definitely comforting to know that he didn't have perfect control over every emotion he felt (not including anger since that seemed to roll off him in waves when it struck). And honestly, for a moment, he'd actually looked... well, sweet.

* * *

><p>Since I hadn't been assigned anything else to do, I was on my laptop during the end of club hours Monday afternoon. On a whim, I pulled up my email to find I had actually received a few messages during the day. Most of it held no appeal to me, and thus it was deleted, but there was one email that caught my attention; one sent by Fuyumi. I frowned in slight confusion as I opened the untitled message, and the body of the email did not help me in the slightest.<p>

"_Good afternoon, Tsukiko! I'm sorry it took me so long to send this, but I just now had the chance to do it. I think it turned out really well! Be sure to show it to the others, okay? Hope you have a great day!"_

"Cryptic messages must run in their family," I muttered beneath my breath as I clicked on the attachment and gave my computer permission to download and open it. The moment I saw what it was, I remembered: the picture she had taken when we were all at Kyoya's. I was eager but reluctant to see it at the same time. There was no telling how weird this was going to look.

I was pleasantly surprised. Though I was lying on the floor and fending off the twins, it didn't look as silly (or unattractive) as I had thought it would. It was obvious that I was having fun, even if I was the one trying to defend myself. She had caught me in the middle of a laugh, and Hikaru and Kaoru were both grinning widely. Behind us Mitsukuni was standing with a cute little grin on his face, cradling his bunny to him while Takashi was seated with his back against a wall with one leg stretched out and one leg bent at the knee, and one of his arms was resting on said knee while the other one was resting at his side. He was smiling with his head tilted slightly, something I had always found endearing. Tamaki was watching us from his spot beside Kyoya, a sweet smile curving his lips with his chin on the palm of his hand and his elbow propped on the nearby table. Finally, my gaze shifted to Kyoya.

And my mouth dropped open in shock. His hand was still posed as though he were about to write something in the notebook in front of him, and he likely had just glanced up for a moment because his head wasn't fully lifted—but what surprised me most was the smile on his face. It wasn't one I was used to, and I had only seen a slight glimpse of it when he'd been looking after his sister, but it was a full-blown warm smile. And it was genuine.

"What's gotten you so surprised, Tsuki-hime?" Kaoru questioned, and I glanced up to see him lean over my shoulder to look at my computer. "Oh, is this from the other night?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Fuyumi sent it to me about an hour ago. It looks good, doesn't it?"

"That's why you're shocked?" Hikaru asked amusedly. "Because Fuyumi managed to take a good picture?"

I made a face at him before I laughed. "No, that's not why I'm shocked." I quickly zoomed in on the picture slightly, just enough to see Kyoya's face more clearly. I then moved my cursor in a circle around him. "_That_ is why I'm shocked."

Hikaru and Kaoru took a moment to look before they shared a glance and started laughing. "Tsuki-hime, you're so oblivious; it's cute," they intoned, ruffling my hair. I didn't get the chance to ask them what they meant since they walked off. I started to turn around to try and get the others' attentions (just so I could do as Fuyumi had asked and show it to them) but it wasn't meant to be.

"Nakamura-san, if you do not wish to be locked in here overnight, I'd suggest packing up your laptop and leaving with the rest of us," Kyoya's voice rang out in the silent room. Blinking, I looked over my shoulder to see that the rest of the hosts were, indeed, out in the hallway.

Releasing a sigh, I closed my laptop and quickly put it away before standing and pulling both my bags onto my shoulder. I didn't hasten to the doorway since I knew what he'd said was mostly in jest, and it was only after I'd gotten into the hallway that he closed the door and locked it. I started my typical trek down the hallway with the hosts, not paying much mind to the discussion they were all having. My mind was still reeling over the fact that Kyoya did have his moments of uninhibited emotions, that he wasn't always in control over what was expressed on his face. I was also still mulling over what Hikaru and Kaoru could have meant by calling me "oblivious" – what was it that they thought I was missing?

A hand lightly touching my shoulder had me blinking out of my thoughts, and I blinked up at Kyoya with mild surprise. "Yes?" I queried after a short moment of silence.

"I haven't had the time to ask you if we need to reschedule your concert in a couple weeks. I was recently informed that you were quite busy in respects to some difficulties with your tour this summer," he answered, and I frowned (not for the first time) at the fact that the glare of his glasses hid his true expression from me. What on earth could he possibly have to hide in regards to a concert?

With a soft sigh, I simply shrugged and readjusted the bag on my shoulder. "Thank you for the concern, Ootori-san, but I have already dealt with the issues surrounding my summer tour, and as of yet, there have been no complications with the performance scheduled at the end of the term. Should something inevitably arise, you will be the first one to know."

Kyoya nodded shortly, his head shifting up so his gaze could rest on the hosts, as if he were checking to see if their discussion might interest him. It didn't seem satisfactory to him, considering he shifted his attention back to me as he asked, "What were you showing Hikaru and Kaoru just a few minutes ago?"

The topic didn't really surprise me; I had sort of been expecting it. "Your sister sent me that picture she took with her camera the other evening. She was right – it did turn out really well. Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves," I commented, smiling lightly. "Including you."

"Is that so?" Kyoya murmured with mild amusement after a moment of silence.

I nodded exaggeratedly, turning my head and tilting it back so I could look up at him properly. "Indeed, it is so. It was rather refreshing to see, actually." Kyoya quirked a brow in question, and I shrugged. "I don't know. You looked..." I paused, trying to figure out the best way to answer his unspoken query. "You looked sweet. It was nice. Cute, even."

Kyoya's steps faltered to a halt while he blinked in surprise, his eyes only slightly wide. **(6)** I realized just how odd my statement probably sounded, but explaining myself would probably just make it seem more awkward.

"Tsuki-hime, Kyoya~ You're getting left behind~" Tamaki sang out, and I shook my head with a laugh as I picked up my pace to catch up with the group of boys. Soon enough Kyoya was walking beside me again, and we walked the rest of the way to the front of the school in a companionable silence as the others talked.

I let my mind wander back to the photograph Fuyumi had taken, and I smiled to myself at the thought. These boys were definitely some of the closest friends I had ever made, and I was glad to say it. They were all warm-hearted (yes, even Kyoya) and it was apparent that they all fit together like an intricate and ever-changing puzzle—a puzzle I was pleased to watch as the pieces evolved and changed, but still managed to slide into place over and over again, as they formed multiple different images. The Ouran High School Host Club was a whole lot more than a group of good-looking boys who spent ample time trying to make others happy. They had a bond that went much deeper than some simple friendship—they were a family.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) <strong>I kinda suck at summarizing, if it wasn't obvious. But I didn't want to have pointless, small scenes when I could just do that. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to elaborate for you if you send me a message (or if you're a guest, you can ask in a review).

**(2) **This is loosely based on one of the attacks my friend had, but since Tsukiko could practically be a diabetic with all the sugar she ingests (and since she's put so much strain on herself) the attack is a bit different and slightly more upscale. (If said friend reads this, I looked up the symptoms and whatnot, so it may be off compared to your attacks.) Anyway~ This scene is rather important because internally, Kyoya is freaking out and is having to force himself to keep calm and in control of the situation, and he's having just a _little _bit of difficulty doing it. Now, the reason why the teachers weren't mentioned was because they're observing things from a little ways away, and they were tuning into the situation when they saw Kyoya and Tamaki running over to her and all the students stopping their activities. Ergo, Kyoya was not going to deal with them (and the trio probably would have ignored them, anyway, even if they were over there).

**(3) **Okay, so this scene gave me the most trouble because I seriously wanted to bawl for Kyoya's sake. Though it's addressed, this actually hurts him more than any of the others know because he seriously did not mean to hurt her by treating her the way he did. He thought she'd get angry. Now, his harshness in the hospital is his emotions getting out of whack. He's had a scare, and he's probably the only one that gets the doctor speak about her full condition, so he's lashing out at her to make her understand the situation. Unfortunately for him, she _gets_ that, and she's trying to keep everyone else from worrying too much and he's just not picking up on that. This tirade of hers is also an insight to the fact that she might like Kyoya more than any of them (even herself) think. But only her father is going to pick up on that, for right now.

**(4) **So that entire scene is, in a sense, Kyoya realizing that he'd at least like to be friends with Tsukiko, even if he can't have anything else. It's also a way to show that Tsuki is (for some reason [/coughcough]) comfortable with talking to him about things that should be awkward/difficult for her to talk about. It's significant for her because it's a slightly obvious sign that she's letting herself get close to him, which will eventually be shown to mean she has some sort of feelings for him. The issue will be if she realizes it's romantically instead of sibling-ly (totally not a word, I know).  
>Kyoya's apology is also important. I think it may be the only time he ever apologizes to her in this story, but he's doing it for a reason. Thinking like Tsuki, it's probably to make amends and show he does want to be friends with her. Thinking like Kyoya, it's really because he cares about what she thinks of him and because he wouldn't be able to stand himself for hurting her if he didn't apologize for doing it.<p>

**(5) **Just wanted to point out that this sort of useless argument could likely be somewhat common when they get together. I mean, they're basically acting like a couple at that moment, but no one's going to recognize it until later (and it's likely they'll tease the two relentlessly for it afterwards).

**(6) **Since I'm not sure Kyoya would _ever _blush (though it's become my intent to find out so he will) this is kind of like the equivalent of it. She totally blindsided him with that "cute" comment, and he was insanely pleased by it. The inner Kyoya is practically preening (and maybe even purring) because of it.

And that's it for this installment! c: It's roughly 17 pages, so it's one of my longer ones. (The next chapter will be my longest one yet, though, at 26/27 pages. [/totally excited])

In regards to the chapter title, it's a song called "Uh Oh" by Junior Doctor. It actually kind of sums up how Kyoya feels, give or take a few details (namely the lyrics talking about his friends and "bad pickup lines") but... Yeah. I guess I thought it'd be fitting since he's finally noticed his feelings, along with everyone else (minus Sook).

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! As always, it'd be lovely if you guys reviewed (I'm not asking for much!) but I'll keep updating either way. Thanks for reading!

**~ DM ;)**


	9. What You Do to Me

_Disclaimer: I own many things, but I definitely don't own the Host Club._

So. Document manager hates me today. I cannot get it to save with this A/N for the life of me. [/flails]

Summarizing what I had: I'm on time~! Oh, yeah!

I wanted to address a little (read: big) mistake I made in the seasons. I don't know how it slipped my mind, but I totally have them backwards from what Japan's seasons really are. I'd go back and fix it, but there's not a way to fix it and have everything work out the way it should. So, effed up seasons it is. Sorry, guys...

Also, I'd said this chapter was 26/27 pages. It's more like... 30/31. Woops? (It easily tops my other chapters' lengths.)

My lonesome reviewer was a **Guest**, and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to make a review. It made me so happy; you have no idea. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and that you're happy I'm not rushing things. I don't believe Kyoya would jump into a relationship with anyone, and those sorts of stories kind of irk me. I'm trying to make it realistic-ish. They _do _have a past together, though, which will be revealed in a couple chapters (even though I've hinted at it all along). I was also excited that you liked the song for last chapter. It kind of makes me feel horrible that I'm doing that to him, but he's just biding his time until he can pounce. Lol.

Here's to hoping this stays. [/crosses fingers]

Happy reading!

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter ix<strong>_

The sun was slowly creeping into my room when I finally ventured to close my eyes in order to get a few hours of sleep.

It just wasn't meant to be.

An obnoxious noise pierced the air, penetrating into my half-conscious state before it could slide into fully unconscious. My hand flailed around, smacking against the alarm clock on my bedside table, but the noise didn't stop, and it took me a moment to register that the noise wasn't the beeping sound my alarm clock typically made. By the time I'd forced myself to pick my head up and look around for my cell phone, however, the noise had stopped. With a very unladylike groan, I flopped back down, curling up beneath the covers.

Then it started again.

With a curse, I pushed myself up and slid from my bed and to the entertainment center (which supported a television I never used) and grabbed my phone, flipping it open without looking at the number (or name). "Hello?" I sighed.

"One moment," the voice on the other end of the line said, and I heard some background noise that led me to believe the phone was being passed to someone else.

"Good morning, Tsuki-hime~" a new voice chirped, and I knew I wouldn't be getting any sleep.

Rubbing a hand over my face, I released a slightly frustrated sigh. "Good morning, Tamaki. What do you need that couldn't wait a couple of hours? I was just about to go to sleep."

Rather than the wailing he typically would have done, Tamaki's voice sounded perplexed as he asked, "At seven in the morning?"

"We've had this discussion before, Tamaki. I don't really sleep, and when I do it's in the early morning hours," I muttered, deciding to move back to my bed as I tried to figure out whether I should simply try and get Tamaki to go into a rant, and then hope I could fall asleep during it. That seemed rather far-fetched, though.

"Oh," the blonde murmured, and I counted down from three as I waited for it to sink in. "Oh! Tsuki-hime, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean—"

Instead of his voice wailing loudly in my ear, it became muffled, and the voice of the person who had originally been speaking came through the receiver. "I assume we interrupted you before you could get to sleep, going off what Tamaki is spouting."

I smiled wryly, even though the black-haired boy couldn't see it. "Yes, you did, but it's fine. What did you boys want?"

"You're leaving tomorrow morning, correct?"

I nodded before remembering he couldn't see that. "Yes, I am. My first concert is in a few days, but I'd like to spend some time with my mother before we start city-hopping because then we'll mostly be busy."

"Do you have any plans for today?"

This conversation was starting to get slightly annoying.

Sighing softly, I massaged my temple with my free hand. "No. I've hung out with Hiroshi, Emiko, and Tamotsu the past week, so they gave me today off," I murmured wryly. "The only plans I'd had for today involved blindly staring at the back of my eyelids, but that's not going to happen now. Why?"

"We're being shown to the sitting room. Everyone wanted to see you before you left for the entire summer," Kyoya answered smoothly, as if it were common for a group of six boys to suddenly show up at my father's home.

"Wait—how did you know I was here, and not at my residence on the other side of town?" I queried, slightly shocked.

I could practically hear the smirk forming on his face. "Honey-senpai called Hiroshi and asked," he replied, as if it were the most obvious conclusion (which, I guess, it was). "Oh, and don't rush to get ready. We don't mind waiting a little while." The line went dead, and I closed my eyes to sustain some patience. There was no need in avoiding the inevitable. With a sigh, I proceeded to get ready for an outing with the Host Club.

While I started brushing my teeth, I silently vowed to kill Hiroshi for not warning me about this.

* * *

><p>When I entered the sitting room half an hour later, the room was oddly quiet, and my father was seated in an armchair across from the Host Club. Awkward much?<p>

I made my way over to my father and perched on the arm of the chair, smiling at him before looking at the hosts. "Good morning," I greeted them pleasantly. I received a murmured response (which was most certainly odd) and I quirked a brow before looking back at my father. "Is everything all right?"

My father smiled back at me, reaching out and patting my hand. "Of course, dear. I was simply telling them that I'd like to see you before you left tomorrow."

Though I had no doubt that was true, I also knew that wasn't the issue; but he wouldn't be the right person to press about it. "Well, I would hope you'd be seeing me off at the airport, at least," I retorted amiably.

My father chuckled as he nodded. "Of course I will, but that would require these boys to get you there early enough for me to get more than a half-hug as you race to the correct terminal."

I smiled as I shook my head. "So you basically threatened my friends. Well, at least that explains their lackluster greeting."

My father's hand came to rest on my back in a silent reply before he pushed himself to a standing position. "Well, I'll be seeing you lot later. I have some business to tend to. Have a nice day."

The Host Club chorused, "Have a nice day, Nakamura-sama," as my father left the room.

Once the door shut behind him, I turned my attention to them. Before I could question them, though, Tamaki stood and clapped his hands. "All right, everyone, we're wasting precious time now! Tsuki-hime, do you have—"

"Boss, you're gonna ruin the surprise!" the twins suddenly exclaimed, jumping to their feet.

"Besides, we already told you," Hikaru added.

"We have that taken care of," Kaoru finished.

I opened my mouth to comment, but then Kyoya was standing and announcing without preamble, "The car's out front."

"Let's go, then!" Mitsukuni exclaimed happily, bolting up and latching onto my arm. I allowed him to drag me along behind him, and it was a testament to how often I spent time with these boys that I easily allowed myself to be swept along with them, ignoring all the commotion they were making in the process. Thus, the next few minutes were rather a blur of frenzied action that only settled slightly as we all piled comfortably into a limo (that I assumed was Kyoya's).

With a sigh I let my head fall back onto the seat, sparing Kyoya a glance as he settled comfortably on my left side (since Mitsukuni and Takashi were to my right). I quirked a brow at him in question when he caught my gaze, and his lips twitched into a smirk. "I assumed I was the least of the four evils," he answered. I briefly contemplated having Tamaki or the twins beside me and realized Kyoya was correct - in this instance he was the least evil. "By the way, feel free to attempt a nap. It should take roughly an hour to reach our destination."

In Kyoya speak that was basically like saying, "Do whatever, so long as it's not engaging me in conversation." And if it weren't for the fact that I knew he most certainly was not a morning person, I probably would have felt offended. In fact, I was actually glad he was being that pleasant. I smiled slightly to myself and made a quick decision to try to get some semblance of sleep on that ride, even if it was only five minutes' worth.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until I was being lightly shaken that I realized I had fallen asleep. I made a quiet noise of protest as I half-heartedly swatted at who (or what) was jostling me, and I heard a quiet chuckle at the same time I felt air puffing against my forehead. "Nakamura-san, you really need to wake up. The others are waiting for us, and they're finally getting impatient."<p>

It took my sleep-addled brain a long moment to register my surroundings, and that was when I realized my left side was a lot warmer than my right side, and my head was leaned against something that was definitely not the seat. I bolted up and narrowly missed slamming my head into the roof of the car. Blinking rapidly, I tried to clear my vision as I looked at the boy beside me. Kyoya was regarding me with fond amusement, and I cleared my throat to penetrate the silence. "How long have I been asleep?" I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes.

Kyoya glanced at his phone before answering, "We left your father's home about two hours ago. You fell asleep shortly after we departed."

My mouth fell open in shock. "T-two hours?" I stuttered.

"That's what I said, yes," Kyoya replied.

"I slept—but—how long—no, _why _did you guys let me stay asleep?"I stammered, feeling heat creeping into my face.

"It was our fault you were out instead of sleeping, so we agreed a couple hours of sleep should be fine. Since you fell asleep on me, the others assumed it would be easier for me to stay." Kyoya didn't sound like he'd been put out, which made sense when he added, "But it's fine; I had several things to take care of. You gave me an hour of silence to work on them." **(1)**

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Only you would be capable of making sure everything you do has an advantage." I didn't spare any more time in the limousine so that I could get outside and stretch. Kyoya followed me, and I blinked at the sudden brightness that flashed at my eyes, bringing up a hand to shield them. After they adjusted, I took in my surroundings: vast lawn with high hedges and a cobblestone driveway leading to a massive stone house - though, really, maybe it was a mansion. "Wow. I didn't know we had places like this in Japan."

"It was recently built, actually. A family my father works with rents it out, mainly to tourists. It has a particular appeal to Americans, I've been told," Kyoya (basically) recited. I quirked a brow at him with a small smile. "I suppose we will get to test that theory."

I made a face at him, crossing my arms. "I wasn't _born _in the United States. I don't think it applies to me." When Kyoya didn't respond, I uncrossed my arms to make an "all-encompassing" gesture. "Well, where are we going? I assume sleeping an hour after we got here was pushing it for whatever you guys have planned."

Kyoya didn't respond as he started walking, and I stumbled to try and keep up with him. He didn't pause as he walked up the steps and opened the door into the place. I came to a halt in the foyer, my jaw dropping as I took in the large space. There was a set of stone stairs to my left that seemed to spiral up to more floors and also down to a basement. The rest of the foyer was stone as well with columns that had what may have been a family crest at the top of them. All along the stones of the ceiling were other ornate designs set onto separate stone squares. Though it was mostly practical, it was also very pretty.

"Nakamura-san, do keep up, please," Kyoya's voice interrupted my observations, and I blinked before hurrying to catch up with him. He led me around an area filled with multiple plants that made me think it might be an observatory, and then we were walking through more rooms that I probably couldn't have begun to describe. Somehow, we ended up back outside, and I gasped at the sight before me—the gardens were in full bloom, and the array of colors was absolutely beautiful. Whoever had done the landscaping (or still did it) should be proud of their work.

"There you are!" Hikaru exclaimed, and I suddenly found myself being tugged along.

"We've been waiting for you," Kaoru added, grinning as he looped an arm around my free one.

"You still need to get ready, Tsuki-hime! We have your other clothes in there!" they both chirped as they lightly pushed me toward what looked like a large, nice shed (or what these people would consider a shed since it seemed more like a small house, or maybe an apartment).

I blinked over my shoulder at them before I stepped up and turned the knob. "Go to the right, and through that door. Then, it'll be the first one," Kaoru added as (apparently) an afterthought, and it became evident what he meant when I walked further into the building (that had nicely tiled floors). The place was full of dressing rooms. Upon further inspection, it also seemed like each separate "stall" had a showerhead in the back half of it, but it was long enough to be like two separate sections.

"This is kind of ridiculous..." I muttered to myself as I stepped into the first "stall" to find a small wooden bench seated beside a vanity. There were several folded towels on a rack next to the vanity, but there was a plain bag set on top of it. With a frown, I opened the bag and made a noise of disbelief as I pulled the contents out of it. There was a strapless bathing suit top that hooked in the back-the left side was a pretty blue color with white X's while the right side had pink and white stripes, and the material looked slightly twisted in the middle. The bottoms had the pink and white stripped pattern on the front with strings looped on the sides in case they needed to be tightened, while the back was the pretty blue color with the white X's on it. **(2)** There was also a sleeveless white cover up that looked like it would at least reach my mid-thigh, and it was probably the only reason I wasn't going to tell them "hell no."

It didn't take long for me to change, and I turned around to observe how it all looked in the mirror. Satisfied that the bikini didn't look _too _awkward, I pulled the dress-like cover up over my head, feeling at least somewhat happy that it almost reached my knees. I simply slipped my black flip-flops back onto my feet and laid my clothes on the bench before I headed back outside.

Hikaru and Kaoru were facing away from the door, so I cleared my throat, folding my arms loosely around my stomach. They turned around, a remark obviously on their lips, but they both stopped short when they saw me. I felt my face flush and dropped my arms to my side when they both grinned and pulled me into a hug. "Aren't you the cutest?" they cooed, nuzzling the top of my head.

"Guys, please let go of me," I mumbled.

Of course, that was when Tamaki showed up. "Hikaru, Kaoru, what's taking so..." He stopped completely when the Hitachiins released me, and his eyes widened.

"She looks great, doesn't she?" the twins queried in sync. "We told you that you could trust us." They posed against each other, proud of themselves.

I was already getting tired of their antics, so I started walking in the direction Tamaki had come from. I heard the three teens scramble to fall into step with me, and the next couple of minutes were blessedly quiet.

Of course it didn't last.

When we came to the (overly large) pool, a chorus of voices shouted, "Surprise!" I came to an abrupt halt, nearly gaping at all the people who had crowded together in front of the pool. The hosts were there, of course, but so were my three friends, my father, Fuyumi, several of our classmates, and a few family members of my friends that I could recognize.

"W-what... what's going on here?" I questioned, looking between the hosts.

Tamaki smiled as he stepped forward and put a hand on my head. "So we surprised you, huh? We've had this planned for weeks. Consider it a 'thank you' for all that you've done for our club."

I blushed and shuffled my feet awkwardly. "But I chose to help you guys. It wasn't a big deal..."

"That's why we wanted to do it, though!" Mitsukuni chirped as he latched onto my arm. "You helped us a lot, and since we couldn't think of something to buy you, we thought we'd throw you a surprise party~"

I smiled and shook my head. "That really was unnecessary, but thank you all, anyway."

"So what do you wanna do first?" Mitsukuni asked, smiling cutely.

My smile became slightly sheepish as I put a hand on my quietly growling stomach. "Um, well... some breakfast wouldn't go amiss." The laughter that followed was expected and as such wasn't all that embarrassing.

"Breakfast it is, then," Kyoya announced.

* * *

><p>"Do you not plan on swimming at all?" Hiroshi questioned with a quirked brow as he plopped into the chair next to me. We had technically finished eating breakfast a couple hours ago, and it was already past noon. My classmates (minus Tamaki and Kyoya, of course) had already left, and so had my father and most of the other family members. Fuyumi was the only family member left, so the group we had wasn't too awkward. It actually felt kind of normal since Hiroshi, Tamotsu, and Emiko got along so well with the others.<p>

"I have every intention of swimming. It's probably the only chance I'll get for the rest of the summer, anyway," I replied. "But I've been nibbling on food nonstop for the past couple hours, and I seriously do not want cricks in my side when I get in."

Hiroshi chuckled and shook his head. "Weirdo. Only _you_ would actually _get _those."

I stuck out my tongue in response.

Hiroshi grinned before continuing more quietly, "We were hoping you'd help us with something, then."

"I'm listening," I sighed, not really interested since I had a vague idea where this was going.

Hiroshi lowered his voice even more. "The only person who won't get in is Kyoya." All right, so maybe I _hadn't_ known.

I barely managed not to laugh as my lips twitched into a grin. "Oh? Did Fuyumi suggest this?"

"As a matter of fact, she did. She also said you would be the only one who could get away with it. He'd suspect all of us," Hiroshi answered, and I nodded to show I understood.

After a short moment of silence, I questioned, "So, what's her plan?"

Hiroshi grinned.

* * *

><p>I sighed softly as I slid into the seat next to Kyoya's at a covered table. He spared me a glance as he continued scribbling in the notebook he always carried with him. "Ne, Ootori-san, are you not gonna swim?" I queried, cocking my head.<p>

Kyoya blinked and looked up from his notebook, glancing at the group in the pool before shifting his gaze to me. "I've never found swimming to be even remotely enjoyable, so I only engage in it when it serves as a mean to an end."

I frowned, my brows furrowing. Was he serious? "You... don't like to swim? Why not?"

"As I said, I simply do not find it to be an enjoyable activity. In fact, it's rather pointless to immerse yourself into water that is full of chlorine and other chemicals that take several washes to completely eradicate. Swimming in an ocean is not much better, or worse, considering you're swimming in peoples' and animals' excrements. There really are no benefits to swimming," Kyoya answered thoughtfully.

I nodded slowly, murmuring, "Uh-_huh_..." I shifted my gaze to the group in the pool, smiling softly as I watched the twins going against Tamotsu and Emiko in a round of Chicken.

"I take it you enjoy swimming," Kyoya stated suddenly, which caused me to shift my gaze back to him.

I smiled wryly and shrugged. "I do enjoy it. It makes me feel weightless, and there's just something really soothing about treading water in a pool. I can't really explain how amazing it feels to me."

Kyoya stared at me intently for a long moment before he turned slightly to observe our friends in the pool. "Who do you think will win?"

I blinked before frowning slightly. "This round or the actual game?"

Kyoya lifted his shoulders in what _may_ have been a shrug. "Either. Both."

I laughed softly. "This round will probably be Tamostu and Emiko. The game, however, will likely be Takashi and Mistukuni. Only since Hiroshi and I aren't playing."

Kyoya turned to look at me and smirked slightly. "You think you two could beat Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and sat up straighter. "I _know_ we could."

Kyoya's smirk shifted slightly, and he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "Shall we make it interesting, then? If you and Hiroshi join the game and win, you can choose whatever prize you want, within reason. If you _lose_, then I get to choose something as my reward."

I hesitated, biting down on my lower lip. I really didn't want to enter into a bet with Kyoya when I didn't know what the stakes were, but at the same time, I was quite confident in Hiroshi's skill and my skill at Chicken. With a sigh and a firm nod, I stuck out my hand and said, "Deal."

* * *

><p>In the end, the match was actually a close call. Granted, the way we ended up having to play it was a bit unfair since Hiroshi and I had to go up against everyone who had lost, one after the other, and both of us were tired by the time we reached Mitsukuni and Takashi. On an average day, Mitsukuni still had a slight strength advantage over me, and today—since Takashi was a lot taller than Hiroshi—he had a height advantage, as well. But I knew how to play the game better than Mitsukuni, and I managed to throw him off balance and win.<p>

Grinning, I pulled myself out of the pool and walked over to Kyoya. "Told you I'd win, Ootorin-san~" I chirped, propping a hand on my hip.

Kyoya turned to fully face me as he nodded. "I observed. **(3)** Have you decided on anything yet, or do you plan to wait to choose your prize?"

I laughed softly, shrugging. "I guess it depends on what you'd deem as 'fair,' Ootori-san."

Kyoya folded his arms over his chest and shrugged slightly. "Name one of your ideas, and I'll say 'yes' or 'no.' I'm sure you know what unsuitable punishment would be; choosing a reward is practically the same."

"Huh," I intoned, nodding slowly. "All right. How about... for the rest of my time here—until tomorrow morning when I get on my plane—I'm allowed to make you do, at most, five things you are adamant about not doing. Does that sound fair?"

Kyoya's gaze shifted slightly to the side of me as he thought it over before his gaze landed on me again, and he nodded. "That's an odd request, but it sounds fair."

"Great!" I exclaimed with a bright smile. "Then take off that ridiculous designer brand pullover and come swimming with us—and that only counts as one order."

Kyoya stayed still for a long moment, and I almost opened my mouth to argue with him, but then he reached up to slip his glasses off his face and fold them before lightly setting them down. When he reached down to grip the hem of his pullover, I turned around and walked back to the pool. I sent Fuyumi a look that said, "You _so _owe me," and then I dove into the water.

When I came back up, Kyoya was walking to the steps at the shallow end, and I found myself watching him. After a short moment, I realized I was _looking _at him, and I felt my face flush. I glanced away to see Hiroshi grinning at me, and I made a face at him as I swam in his direction. When I reached him, he pulled me closer and snickered as he whispered, "See something you like, Sook?"

I swatted him (ineffectively) underwater and rolled my eyes. "I never said he was physically unattractive, Hiroshi. _But_ I think all the guys in this pool are attractive, and they all know they are," I muttered in reply, and Hiroshi laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. **(4)**

"All right, you got me there. Sheesh; I never get to have any fun at your expense," he teased, pouting.

"Oh, boohoo," I retorted, catching him off guard and dunking him before trying to quickly swim away. I yelped, giggling, as he grabbed one of my ankles to pull me back, and then I called for help.

And thus began our water war.

* * *

><p>Our water war ended abruptly, however, when Tamaki decided it would be a great idea to try and pull Kyoya into it by dunking him. We all went silent and stopped what we were doing immediately, turning to watch the potential downfall of Tamaki's impulsive action. Kyoya pushed his hair back slightly as he glared at the blonde host, and then he turned around and started heading to the stairs of the pool. Tamaki, in return, pouted and started cultivating mushrooms on the side of the pool.<p>

With a sigh, I pushed off the nearest wall to swim to the shallow end of the pool quickly. Swimming was practically second nature to me, so it wasn't hard for me to swim past Kyoya and stop on the pool steps to block his exit. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I raised my brows at him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Nakamura-san, it would not be difficult to go around you," Kyoya responded.

"Oh, no, Ootori-san. I do believe we had a bet, and I said you had to go swimming with us as one of my requests. Getting your hair wet is a part of swimming, and Tamaki was simply trying to include you in our current activity. Now use the required bones and muscles to turn yourself around and head back toward deeper water," I ordered, hands perched on my hips. When Kyoya made no move to turn, I pointed out over his shoulder. "Well? Go on."

The black-haired boy looked like he probably wanted to say a few choice words, but he turned around and headed back into the pool without comment. I caught Hiroshi and Fuyumi smirking at me, and I made a face at them as I slowly made my way back into the pool as well. At least some good was coming out of that nonsensical bet.

* * *

><p>"Wait, wait, wait," I ordered as I fumbled around for the shampoo. "What do you mean, we're all staying here?"<p>

Fuyumi's voice rang out a few stalls down in response. "Your father and the Host Club paid for us to rent the place for twenty-four hours. Your father should be back this evening, actually."

I let that sink in for a moment as I rinsed shampoo out of my hair. "What're we doing for dinner?"

"We're not allowed to tell you that," Emiko's voice answered this time.

I rolled my eyes (mainly because they _couldn't _see) and made a noise of disapproval.

Laughter echoed in the room and Emiko added, "And that won't get you anywhere, Sook."

"She's right. Kyoya specifically requested our discretion on this matter," Fuyumi explained.

I shook my head as I rinsed shampoo out of my hair a second time before shutting off the water. "All right, whatever. I don't really care what they have planned as long as I'm not late for my flight." I dried off with a fluffy, white towel before entering the dressing area of the stall again. I slipped on the clothes I'd left in there earlier and brushed out my hair. That was when I realized it had been awkwardly silent, except for the sound of running water. "Hey, Fuyumi?" I called out tentatively.

"Yes?" she called back promptly.

"I don't think I ever told you 'thank you' for that photo you emailed me a couple weeks ago. I thought it turned out really well. I set it as my background on my computer."

Fuyumi sounded extremely happy and pleased when she answered. "Oh, you're absolutely welcome! And thank you! I'm glad to hear it! I, um... I brought my camera with me to see if I could get a photo of all of you—including Hiroshi, Tamotsu, and Emiko—just so you have one, you know?"

"Oh, that would be amazing!" Emiko exclaimed, and I grinned to myself.

"I would like that very much, Fuyumi. Thank you," I replied, folding my wet bathing suit and cover up back into the bag they'd come in. "I'll be right outside, you two."

They made noises to show me they heard, and I opened my stall door and walked back outside. With a soft sigh, I sat down on the steps, letting my arms rest on my bent knees. This would probably be one of the longest nights ever, and I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to it.

"Oh, you're out early, Tsuki-hime," Kaoru spoke from behind me, and I blinked as I looked over my shoulder. He perched himself on the steps beside me, and I smiled at him.

"I've never taken long showers," I replied with a shrug. "What're you doing here? Where's Hikaru?"

Kaoru smiled back at me as he leaned back on his elbows as best he could. "We all got our showers and headed back to the pool to wait on you ladies. I had to go to the restroom, though, and here we are," he answered with a slight flourish of his hands.

"Ah. I suppose I'm just not used to seeing you two separated, but I guess you both need your privacy sometime, hm?" I cocked my head with a warm smile as Kaoru blinked over at me, and my face dropped as I tried to discern the look on his.

Kaoru glanced away as he murmured, "Hikaru and I don't really get tired of each other. We've been together since we were born, and there was never anyone for us to rely on except for each other. I mainly agreed to join the Host Club because Tamaki-senpai really seemed like he cared which one of us was Hikaru and which one was Kaoru." A somewhat bitter smile quirked his lips, and I waited silently to see if he'd continue speaking. "I knew Hikaru would agree to it before I told him all the dramatic acts we'd get to play, and I even went so far as to tell him it wasn't necessary for us to make friends with the other hosts." He paused again and turned to look at me. "Hikaru has always been adamant that he doesn't need anyone else, and he's not exactly easy to get along with. He just recently started making at least slight bonds with the others, but the fact that you've been able to tell us apart from the beginning made him inclined to like you, and it's because of your trust in the Host Club that he's opened himself up to the possibility of trusting them. And for that, I wanted to thank you. That was my reason for chipping in to pay for this place." **(5)**

I sat there, stunned, as I tried to process all of what Kaoru had said. It took me a moment to realize he had just optionally brought up his and Hikaru's past _and_ answered the question I'd been curious about since I saw the twins interacting at the club. I was torn between actually crying and smiling giddily with the risk of looking stupid, and it only took a few seconds for me to come to the conclusion of hugging him. He made a startled noise but wrapped his arms around me in a return hug before I pulled back from him. "Kaoru, that is one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me. I know you and Hikaru are really private, and I'm grateful you felt as though you could trust me. Thank you."

Kaoru and I shared a warm smile, and that was when Fuyumi and Emiko finally emerged from the building. "All right! Onto the next leg of our adventure!" Emiko announced, signaling her arrival, and the moment was over.

* * *

><p>When we pulled up outside the supposed restaurant, I was a little surprised. I leaned into Hiroshi slightly, mumbling, "Are we in the right place?" The black-haired boy grinned and nodded, which only prompted me to be confused. It looked like a café, kind of like the <em>Panera Bread<em> company in America. Just... more comfortable, so it was definitely family-run. And not at all like the places the hosts would typically try to go.

I spared a glance at all of them to find them looking at me, as if waiting to see my reaction. I really didn't want to disappoint them, but I wasn't sure what we were doing here. Belatedly, I checked across the street to make sure there wasn't a restaurant over there, and then I settled my gaze back on the... let's call it a pastry shop.

"Do you not like it, Tsuki-chan?" Mitsukuni asked, pouting. "Kyo-chan went through a lot of trouble to find it."

If I wasn't surprised before, I definitely was _now_. I looked over at Kyoya curiously, but he wasn't paying me any mind anymore. Instead, he was speaking with the driver, and I could barely hear what he was saying, but it was enough to make me interrupt him. "Ootori-san, what are you doing?" I sighed loudly in exasperation. Kyoya paused in his discussion to look up at me with a lot more patience than I was used to dealing with. "Let him go. I doubt they're expecting an entire group of people."

Kyoya's lips twitched into a smirk before he turned and spoke to the driver for a short moment. He joined us a few seconds later, and the rest of the group started walking. I stayed where I was, looking at him with slightly raised brows. He glanced over at me with a quirked brow. "Yes, Nakamura-san?"

I gestured toward the pastry shop. "What made you choose this place?"

"Is it not to your liking?"

I sighed with just a touch of impatience. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't, and you know it. I'm just surprised that you're the one who found this place and suggested it."

"They are well-known for their sweets, and I assumed you would like it. Think of this as my 'thank you' for your assistance with our club. I believe I can manage to stomach their food," Kyoya replied, and I honestly wasn't sure if he was being serious or sarcastic.

"You should have stopped after 'assistance with our club.' It would have had more of an impact," I retorted dryly before walking after our group. Hiroshi had lingered toward the back, and he raised an eyebrow at me when I joined him. "He can be such an asshole about the simplest things. He does something nice and then seems to do everything he can to negate the nicety," I muttered.

Hiroshi smiled and lightly entwined our fingers before squeezing my hand. "You of all people should know he only does things that supposedly benefit him. He's probably just being irritating so it doesn't seem like he did it because he simply wanted to," the black-haired boy murmured back as we walked into the pastry shop. We moved off to the side slightly, and I turned my head into his shoulder to hide a yawn. "You're tired already, Sook?" Hiroshi teased.

"I had two hours of sleep from around seven to nine this morning. So yes, I'm tired already," I replied, somewhat sullenly. Hiroshi laughed and ruffled my hair with his free hand, and I swatted at it half-heartedly with a playful glare thrown his way. He then proceeded to poke and prod at me to try and get me to laugh. "Stop iiiit," I whined purposely like a child and pouted, just to keep from smiling.

"Must you two behave like children every time you're around each other? People are staring, so stop," Kyoya snapped, glancing at us through narrowed eyes.

I blinked, exchanging a look of confusion with Hiroshi. Kyoya had never cared about our antics before. "Is there someone here?" I asked quietly, but loud enough for the black-haired boy to hear.

Now he looked confused. "No."

"Then I don't understand... You've never said anything before," I murmured.

It was obvious that Kyoya stopped himself from saying what came to mind, and after a few seconds, he muttered, "Forget I said anything." And then he looked away. **(6)**

I opened my mouth to argue, but Hiroshi squeezed my hand and shook his head, so I closed it and frowned. What the hell was his problem? I turned to Hiroshi right when the hostess walked over and told us they had a place ready for all of us, so I shook my head when he prompted me to speak. It wasn't really important, anyway, and it wasn't like he would understand what was going on with Kyoya any more than I did.

We were led into a back room where they had a long table set up for us, and somehow I ended up sitting _across_ from Mitsukuni (rather than next to him) with _Kyoya_ on my left and Hiroshi on my right. The world was apparently out to get me. By this point, Hiroshi had released my hand, but he moved his chair slightly closer to mine so that he could read off my menu. "Before you get engrossed in the food, do you know what you want to drink?" I asked Hiroshi.

He shrugged. "I figured I'd just get whatever you get."

I laughed and nudged him with my shoulder. "Anything to keep you from having to think, hm?" I teased lightly.

Hiroshi grinned back easily. "You know it," he answered. "Plus, I figured if I drank all of mine too quickly, I could steal yours."

"Oh, no. You are not touching my peppermint hot chocolate," I retorted absently, looking over the menu items. "I don't know what food to get, though..."

Hiroshi chuckled. "Just get whatever speaks to you."

I glanced at him with a sly grin. "It's impossible for food to speak to you, sweetie. Maybe you should stop watching _Veggie Tales_."

"But the songs are so catchy," he protested. "And food should be allowed to talk."

I shuddered slightly at the thought. "I don't know about that. I think I'd freak out. Can you imagine trying to eat something that's talking to you?"

Hiroshi seemed to be imagining it, and a moment later he laughed. "Oh, that would be hilarious to watch. You do know I'm _so_ going to talk to you like I'm the food you're eating, right? Maybe not today since it'd be expected, but I will sometime."

I scowled at him lightly, but I wasn't able to respond since a woman asked for our order. I chose something random off the menu and decided I could get a dessert later, but I did have a slight question. "If we pay for them, will you refill our peppermint hot chocolates?" I inquired, smiling up at her.

She blinked before smiling sheepishly. "I'm not sure what our policy is on drinks like that, actually, but I don't think it would be an issue if you're willing to pay. I'll ask, though, just to make sure."

I nodded. "Thank you." When the woman walked off, Hiroshi snickered, so I frowned over at him. "What?"

"Nothing," he answered with a grin. "You're just adorably stupid sometimes."

There was only one way to respond to that statement: I stuck out my tongue.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Sook, you have to try this," Hiroshi spoke around a mouthful of boston crème pie.<p>

I paused with my mug at my lips. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Shi-bear," I commented before taking a sip of my drink.

He rolled his eyes but finished and swallowed the bite he'd taken before he forked off another bite and held it out towards me. "Open," he ordered. I gave him a look to show what I thought of that, but I opened my mouth to let him feed me the one bite. He grinned as I closed my mouth around the fork, and then he slipped it from my mouth. "Well?" he asked as I tasted all the flavors before swallowing.

I smiled and nodded as I licked my lips to get anything left behind. "It's good. But my red velvet cake is better." I laughed softly when Hiroshi pouted. "Really, it is. Here." I forked a bite and held it over my free hand so no crumbs fell to the floor. Hiroshi leaned forward and closed his mouth around it before pulling his head back and chewing thoughtfully. I quirked a brow at him as I set my fork down, waiting on his response.

He finally nodded, looking dejected. "Okay, I give. The red velvet cake is better. And you're horrible for letting me try it."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I tried to tell you to get it, Shi-bear. It's not my fault you didn't listen." I turned my head to look at my slice of cake again when I caught a glimpse of Kyoya's dark expression. I paused in mid-reach for my fork, frowning at him. "Ootori-san, you could at least _pretend_ you're enjoying yourself. Everyone else is," I muttered.

"It's difficult to enjoy myself when you two are doing that," Kyoya retorted.

I blinked before furrowing my brows. "What's wrong with it?"

Kyoya glanced in Takashi's direction before looking back at me. "I assumed you would be more considerate than to flirt so openly in front of him." **(7)**

"Flirt...?" I murmured, more-so to myself, before I realized what he was saying. And then I laughed. Kyoya looked more annoyed, but I couldn't force myself to stop. After I reduced it to giggles, I looked over at Hiroshi, who was regarding me questioningly. "He..." I had to stop for a giggle. "He thinks we're flirting."

Hiroshi laughed, which almost set me off into another fit as well, but Kyoya was starting to look murderous. "I guess we'll have to fill him in, then," Hiroshi stated with a faux-heavy sigh.

I grinned and nodded before turning to Kyoya. "We are definitely not flirting. We're just... really close. I guess we're more like brother and sister."

"That sounds about right," Hiroshi agreed, nodding. "Plus, there's a key component missing. At least from one person's side."

Kyoya's expression was a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Quit being cryptic," he ordered.

Now he knew what everyone around him felt like when he was beating around the bush. Though part of me wanted to continue being cryptic, I decided to cut him some slack and answered bluntly, "Hiroshi's not sexually attracted to me."

Kyoya blinked, surprise flashing on his face for less than a second. "Excuse me?" he queried politely.

Hiroshi smiled and shrugged. "I like males. Always have. And I don't really even try to hide it, but no one ever seems to notice, so don't worry about it. I don't think even those two know," he explained, motioning towards Emiko and Tamotsu. "And I've known them practically forever."

"But Takashi and Mitsukuni both know. They found out sometime in that seven-year gap," I added.

Hiroshi nodded. "Yeah, I'm still not entirely sure what really tipped them off. We mostly only interacted in business party situations, and at those I don't have much choice but to pretend I like females."

"I have to say that I can think back to situations where it was obvious, but I wouldn't have suspected it," Kyoya admitted, which caused Hiroshi and me to glance at each other in surprise. _That _was the last thing I would expect Kyoya to admit to doing. He was so analytical of everyone that it was surprising he'd never noticed it before.

"Huh. Well, I guess it's better that way, anyway. It could probably cause issues with my father's company if it were obvious and plenty of people knew about it," Hiroshi murmured, shrugging. I reached over and lightly squeezed his hand, knowing how much of a sore spot that was for him. As the only child (and son) he had no choice but to inherit his father's company. Unfortunately, that actually caused him several problems since he'd lose respect for the company if it were to get out. Though in general people didn't care, it meant nothing when it came to the upper class business world. Anything that could be considered "bad" by _anyone_ was a hazard to businesses.

After Hiroshi smiled warmly at me in thanks, I glanced back at Kyoya to see him observing my dessert in curiosity. I waited until he looked up from it to smile and ask, "You want to try some?"

"I don't like sweets," he answered automatically.

I rolled my eyes and pushed my plate toward him. "You need a new excuse. It really isn't that sweet. Just try it." When Kyoya looked skeptical, I frowned. "Please?"

Kyoya shook his head. "I have no inclination to try it."

"Then why were you looking at it?" I inquired, quirking a brow at him.

"It's not every day someone sees a red cake," he retorted.

"Oh, for the love of—Just try it, Ootori-san. I don't believe that you were looking at it just because of its color," I snapped, crossing my arms.

Kyoya watched me patiently before asking, "Are you using one of your orders on this?"

I gritted my teeth, staring at him in slight impatience. "No, I'm not."

"Then I'm not trying it," he answered easily.

By this point, Hiroshi was snickering, so I shot him a glare for good measure before shifting my gaze back to Kyoya. "All right, I'll give. What do I have to do to get you to eat a bite?"

Kyoya actually seemed surprised. "You're willing to barter with me... just to eat a bite of that cake?" he questioned, as if trying to confirm something he didn't understand. Which, honestly, he probably didn't.

"Yes," I responded simply.

Kyoya eyed the cake before looking back at me. "Can I get back to you on what I'd like in return?"

I heaved a sigh. "Sure; why not? Just get a bite already!"

He smirked before he picked up his clean fork and scooped a bite of the cake off. He hesitated right before he slipped the food into his mouth, and I watched him curiously as he contemplated the taste and texture. His gaze slipped back to the cake before shifting up to me. "It was a lot better than I expected," he admitted grudgingly, and I grinned as I motioned toward it.

"You can have more, if you want. I probably shouldn't be eating it all, actually," I murmured as I picked up my fork and scooped off another bite.

It took a couple of minutes (and a distraction by the name of Hiroshi) for him to acquiesce and take another bite, but I happened to glance at him at the right moment, and I grinned knowingly when his gaze met mine.

He didn't even try to hide his third bite.

Or any of the ones after that. **(8)**

* * *

><p>I released a quiet sigh as I snuck out of the room I was sharing with Fuyumi. It was late-probably around three-and the quiet of the dark room had finally gotten to me. We had gone up and down the stairs of the back porch several times, so I knew there were chairs out there, and those were my goal at the moment. It would be warm enough outside, and there were always sounds I found soothing while outside at night, so it was the best option for me in my state.<p>

Granted, there was one thing I _hadn't_ thought of.

I was just about to open the door when a voice stopped me. "I wouldn't open that just yet if I were you."

I managed to bite back a scream as I whirled around, my hand instinctively settling over my heart. "You couldn't have made even a _little_ noise as you crept up on me, Ootori-san?"

Kyoya smirked, leaning against the wall slightly. "I made as much noise as I usually do, Nakamura-san. Besides, you knew it was me when I spoke."

"And of course you can't just politely apologize like everyone else would," I muttered, to which he simply crossed his arms and quirked a brow. "Anyway, why did you advise me against opening the door?"

He tilted his head in the direction of the door. "The alarm was set when everyone settled in for the night."

I blinked before looking over my shoulder to see the white case mounted on the wall. I looked back at Kyoya, who looked way too pleased with himself, and I huffed slightly. "Thank you _so _much for scaring me over something so simple. I do believe I could have handled the embarrassment of setting off the alarm," I snapped, only a little irritable.

Kyoya's eyes narrowed as he stood up straight. "I wish you luck with that, then."

"Someone still owes me a few things from a bet," I retorted as he turned to walk away. "So my second order is for you to stop, turn back around, and come put in the code." After a short pause, I added, "Please."

If Kyoya were anyone else, he would've made a huge show to express his annoyance. But he was Kyoya—and as such, he simply turned around and walked toward me before stopping just in front of me and reaching over me to input the code. It beeped a few times in a row to show it had been disarmed, and Kyoya turned back around.

"Wait." I impulsively reached out to grab his arm and felt him tense. He didn't shake me off, but he didn't look back at me, either. "I'm sorry. That was an overreaction, but you really piss me off with that 'holier-than-thou' shit, and I've spent the last hour in a pitch-black, silent room just to insure I didn't wake your sister when I left, so I'm a little freaked already." I realized I was rambling, so I took a deep breath and released his arm. I didn't wait for his response as I turned around and opened the door, instantly feeling better as I stepped outside. I left the door open in case Kyoya chose to follow me outside (though I highly doubted it) and made my way over to one of the chairs. I curled up in it and rubbed my chin against my pajama-clad knees, reveling in all the noises bugs and nocturnal animals were making.

To my surprise, I heard footsteps after the door closed, and I blinked over at Kyoya as he took a seat next to me. "Have you ever thought about seeing a psychiatrist?" he asked, and ironically I found myself laughing, even though I knew he was being sincere.

Shaking my head, I looked over at him and replied, "My mother made me go to one when I was younger because she was worried about how I would respond to my parents' divorce. I was eight. The first thing I told him when I walked in was that he couldn't tell my mom, but all I wanted was for my mom and dad to stop arguing during the night so I could go to sleep. He was the first person I ever told. He was nice, too. I told him all sorts of things I wouldn't tell anyone else. I'm not sure what happened, but my mom suddenly stopped taking me to him. I saw him once more at a restaurant or something, and he gave me his card if I ever wanted to talk. I think I still have it somewhere actually."

Kyoya was quiet for a moment before he replied, "I meant recently. You seem to have anxiety issues."

"Oh, I take pills for that, but they aren't able to work miracles. I'm seeing my mom for the first time in five months tomorrow, so I'm a little worried about that. And then everyone's been acting odd today, and to top it all off, I _still_ wasn't tired enough to sleep tonight," I explained with a shrug. Since I couldn't see anything good coming from this conversation, I changed the topic. "By the way, how did you know I would go outside at three am?"

Kyoya chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "I was in the living room, working, when you walked by. It was easy to assume you were heading outside. I wasn't aware it was that late, however."

"Oh. Well, it's past three," I stated with a grin, simply because I wanted to be obnoxious. Kyoya's lips twitched, but he didn't make a remark. For a few minutes it was quiet, save for the sounds of nighttime. "Ne, Ootori-san?"

"Hm?" Kyoya turned to look at me.

I hesitated for a short moment, but this had been bugging me all day. "This morning, my father said something to all of you, and I know it wasn't that he threatened you all about getting me to the airport early." I turned so I was directly facing him and made sure he was looking me in the eye before I asked, "What'd he say that caused you all to look so... bummed?" Kyoya lifted his head just slightly, so I added, "And as my third request, I want you to tell me the truth. I'll know if you lie."

For the first time since I'd met him, Kyoya sighed—and it wasn't out of annoyance. "Your mother does not wish for you to continue your schooling in Japan in the fall. She spoke to your father about it a few nights ago."

At first, I was simply stunned, and then I was slightly pissed. "So you all just assumed that made it concrete? She hasn't said a word to me about it, and I don't plan on spending my last years at a school in the United States. Hell, I don't have any _friends_ over there!"

"Your mother has full custody of you, doesn't she? I don't think it's going to matter if you don't have friends at your old school," Kyoya retorted.

"Actually, my father has partial custody, but he gave up the rights to have me every other weekend since it would only cause more issues..." I replied absently. "I guess I could just end up dropping out of school when I turn sixteen. It's legal in my state," I explained.

"I don't believe you would quit school over a lack of friends," Kyoya murmured with a touch of amusement.

I laughed softly, shrugging. "Maybe, maybe not. But it'll definitely help when I argue with her about this after my summer tour is over. You guys won't be getting rid of me that easily." With a grin, I motioned toward the house. "Now, go inside and get some sleep. We have to leave in less than five hours."

Kyoya smirked. "Is that an order?"

"I'm not wasting an order on _that._ I'll just keep away from you if you end up in an exceptionally bad mood," I retorted, shrugging once again.

"Then I'm not going. You aren't staying out here alone," Kyoya replied easily.

I laughed incredulously and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Seriously? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Ootori-san. I've done this lots of times."

"This has nothing to do with those other times. You are in an unfamiliar place, and you insist on sitting outside. Unless you choose to move to the living room, I am staying out here."

Sometimes I thought he chose the moments to be a gentleman based on how annoyed they made me. "Fine," I muttered as I unfolded myself and stood. "I'll distract myself in there, somehow." The likelihood of that working was rather low, but I wasn't going to let Kyoya try to stay up all night because of me. I didn't wait for him and instead walked to the door and went inside, leaving it ajar once again as I made my way to the living room. Sighing, I folded myself up in one of the armchairs that faced the entryway to the living room and settled my chin on my knees.

A moment later Kyoya walked in and sat down on a mat I hadn't noticed before. When he slid his glasses off his nose, I blurted, "What the hell are you doing?"

Kyoya released an exasperated sigh as he looked in my general direction. "You've seen the way Tamaki sleeps," was all he offered as an explanation. He then laid down and tugged a blanket toward him.

"I'm not comfortable sitting here when you're asleep, Ootori-san," I objected.

"You can do whatever you'd like. I'll fall asleep soon enough," he murmured in response.

I sighed softly. "That's not what I meant. It was awkward enough to lay there by your sister until I was sure I could leave. I'm not going to be able to sit here while you sleep for four hours."

"What do you suggest I do, Nakamura-san?" He sounded half-asleep.

"Wake Tamaki and make him move his ass over?" Kyoya actually moved to shoot a glare at me. "What? I think it's a fair suggestion." He didn't reply and went back to his original position. "Wait. Hiroshi's alone. Would you feel awkward sleeping in his room?"

"Not any more than I would have sleeping in the same room as Tamaki," Kyoya answered after a short silence.

I immediately stood, nodding. "All right, then. Let's go talk to him." I waited in hopeful silence for a long moment before Kyoya sat up and fumbled for his glasses. When he slid them back on and stood, I walked past him and headed upstairs, trying to remember which room was Hiroshi's. After a moment of debate, I decided to guess and quietly knocked on a door before opening it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the familiar mop of Hiroshi's hair. With a glance over my shoulder to insure Kyoya was still following me, I walked further into the room and sat beside Hiroshi. I shook him softly, and he made an unintelligible noise before he turned and opened his eyes slightly.

"Sook?" he mumbled sleepily, shifting so he could rub at his eyes. "'S wrong?"

I smiled slightly as I answered, "Nothing, really. Just..." I lowered my voice as I finished, "Kyoya needs somewhere to sleep that isn't in the living room or with Tamaki."

"Mm. 'S fine." Hiroshi was still mostly asleep, but the fact that he was answering my statements mostly coherently was good enough.

"Thanks, Shi-bear. Go back to sleep." I brushed his hair back impulsively before standing and facing Kyoya. "He said it was fine for you to sleep in here," I told him quietly. "As you can see, he keeps to his side of the bed." I motioned vaguely toward the bed. "So, I guess I'll see you in a few hours. Please try to get some sleep." I flashed him a smile. "G'night, Ootori-san."

Kyoya managed to smirk back as he replied, "Good night, Nakamura-san."

With a slight wave, I retreated back to the hallway, closing the door behind me. Shaking my head and smiling, I headed back downstairs to find something to entertain me for the next few hours.

* * *

><p>Not so surprisingly, my father was the first (if you didn't count any of the guards we had) to wake up. If nothing else, he was the first person I saw that morning. I had moved to the kitchen to try and find something to eat when I heard shoes hitting the floor. I stopped mid-search and looked over my shoulder, smiling brightly at my father. "Good morning~" I chirped.<p>

My father blinked slightly before he chuckled and shook his head. "It's such an odd sight. I keep thinking of how you should be asleep, even though I know you're not going to be. Granted, I've never seen you running around _this _early."

I smiled and shrugged. "Don't worry. Mom never got used to it, either. She's screamed a few times when she's walked into the kitchen," I admitted.

He laughed at that, leaning against one of the counters. "I don't believe you'll have to worry about me screaming."

"I'd hope not," I replied with a grin. After a short moment, I asked, "Are you hungry? I can probably cook us something, depending on what I can find. And if you're thirsty, I _have _found the coffee and made it." I walked over to one of the cabinets and opened it. "Mugs and glasses are in this one and the one beside it. I'm not sure which one you would like, so..." I turned and walked to the fridge before opening it and beginning to rifle through all of it. "Let's see... I can make eggs, maybe some bacon or ham, and they have all sorts of syrup and jelly stocked in here, so there should be some ingredients to make pancakes and biscuits. I might even be able to manage some gravy," I finally surmised, turning to see my father watching me with a fond smile, his hands cupping a mug. When he didn't say anything, I asked, "What?"

"I guess I'm simply surprised you know how to make all of that," he answered.

"Oh," I murmured, feeling my face flush. "Well, I used to get hungry and had no idea what to do about it when there wasn't anyone around to make something for me to eat. So I gave up on _not _eating and learned how to cook basic items I knew we'd always have at home. It ended up being really useful when Mom wouldn't let me stay with you permanently and bought that penthouse for no real reason."

He nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, I guess it would be helpful. And I think, if you can find what you need, I'd like some pancakes." The abruptness with which he changed subjects tipped me off-he didn't like talking about me not staying with him, which was understandable. He _was_ my dad, after all.

I didn't respond for a few minutes as I walked around to try and find the ingredients I would need. It didn't take too long to find the salt and sugar, but it took a little longer to locate the flour and baking powder. I also grabbed the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon while I gathered all the other ingredients. I then grabbed the eggs, milk, and butter from the fridge before I walked into the pantry and found some chocolate chips. I managed to find the measuring cups and spoons easily, as well as extra mixing bowls, and then I rifled underneath the counters to find the pan I wanted to use before setting it down on the stove (with the eyes off, of course). Finally, I pulled the stationary mixer out and looked over my shoulder at my father. "Do you want buttermilk, chocolate, chocolate chip, or cinnamon?"

He grinned and shook his head slightly in disbelief. "I believe I will take two cinnamon pancakes."

I briefly calculated the serving sizes in my head and started mixing together the dry ingredients. I had grabbed the extra mixing bowls just in case I needed to make multiple different types of pancakes, so I knew it wouldn't be an issue for the others if they wanted some. "Dad?" I queried after a long moment.

"Hm?"

"Kyoya told me about what Mom said."

It was silent for a moment before he asked (rhetorically), "Did he?"

I made a face, even though I knew he wouldn't see it. "Well, I guess he didn't have much of an option since he has to do five things I request because he lost a bet, but still—I know about it now." I paused. "And I don't plan on going back to America permanently yet, if at all. She hasn't even spoken to me about it, and I don't _want_ to go back. Sure, yeah, I definitely miss her, but I don't miss that school or even that house. I've already been thinking about what to say to persuade her if I have to, but... I don't understand why she's so imperative I go back."

I wasn't aware of my father moving, but I felt a hand on my shoulder a second later, and I looked up at him. He was smiling softly as he moved his hand to card his fingers through the hair on the back of my head. "Sook, that's something only your mother can tell you, and even then, you likely won't understand completely. Her motives are never entirely clear, but she _does _think she's doing what's best for you. She may very well be—and most likely is—wrong, but that doesn't make her the enemy. I would be so happy if you stayed in Japan and continued going to Ouran Academy, but don't stay out of a sense of duty or anything. If you stay, stay for _you _and you only."

I smiled up at him with a nod. "I kind of assumed you would say that. But I really do enjoy being here. This is my home. All my friends are _here_, not in the States. People here treat me normally, minus the little kids and the odd fans, but I'm used to that. The students at Ouran Academy treat me nicely and are more open to being friendly with me because they _want_ to while in the States they do it because I'm famous, and even then they're all backstabbing brats."

My father chuckled softly as he quirked a brow. "Then why don't you switch to a private school?"

I sighed softly, starting to mix ingredients again. "The nearest private school is about half an hour away, and it only has about two hundred students. In essence, everyone knows each other. Besides, I started out in a public school _before_ I became famous, and then kids just didn't really want much to do with me because I was the new girl and wasn't very fluent with English. Most of the ones who _did_ try to be friends with me ended up moving away."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" I could hear the frown in his voice.

"You and Mom were going through a divorce. I didn't want to bother you with things like that when you already had a lot of problems. Besides, Hiroshi and Takashi kept contact with me, so it wasn't _too _bad. Just enough to make me miss home," I explained with a slight shrug. "I think I turned out just fine."

That managed to get a wry laugh out of him. "You turned out better than 'just fine,' Sook." I was slightly shocked when he hugged me and kissed the top of my head. "I couldn't be more proud of you."

I felt my face flush, and I swallowed to keep from even slightly tearing up. "Thanks, Dad. That... really means a lot to me."

He'd opened his mouth to speak when I heard, "Oh! Good morning, Tsuki-hime~ And good morning to you, too, Nakamura-sama!"

I shook my head with a slight smile. "Good morning, Tamaki. And don't worry—you didn't just interrupt my father or anything." My father didn't say anything to distract the blonde boy as he let my words sink in—which was a complete mistake on his part—and when Tamaki started wailing an apology, I grinned at my father who actually looked slightly exasperated.

When Tamaki stopped to take a breath, my father abruptly stated, "Sook's making pancakes. You want any?"

Tamaki blinked, glancing around me, and he smiled. "Tsuki-hime, you know how to cook!?"

I laughed softly. "Yes, Tamaki, I do. So would you like buttermilk, chocolate, chocolate chip, or cinnamon?"

Tamaki thought for a moment before saying questioningly, "Chocolate chip?"

"All right. Let me finish my father's first, and then I'll get to yours, okay?" I queried, cocking my head.

"Of course, Tsuki-hime!"

And thus began my morning as the pancake maker.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. You want me to do <em>what<em>?"

"Wake up Kyoya-senpai," the twins parroted Tamaki's earlier words.

"I just spent the past hour and a half making pancakes for all of you, and _now_ you want me to go wake up Kyoya? You don't think that's a little much?" I inquired.

"What's so bad about waking him up?" Tamotsu asked around a mouthful of food.

"Momo, that's gross," I pointed out absently, and he smiled sheepishly.

Hikaru and Kaoru shared a look before Tamaki glanced around and lowered his voice. "Have you _seen_ Kyoya in the morning? His temper's bad enough when he's fully awake. Can you imagine how he'd act if it were ten times worse? _That's_ his mood in the mornings!" His voice had an odd squeaky tone to it, and I saw Emiko and Hiroshi roll their eyes while Tamotsu's widened.

"Wow. Good luck, Kiko-chan!" Tamotsu stated in a normal voice before proceeding to continue shoving bites of pancake into his mouth.

"I still don't see why _I _have to do it," I retorted.

Hikaru sighed slightly. "Tsuki-hime, you're leaving today to tour. You won't even be seeing Kyoya-senpai for at least two months."

"Whereas all of us will be dealing with him the entire summer," Kaoru added.

"So," they finished in unison, "that makes you the perfect person to wake up Kyoya-senpai!"

"Besides," Mitsukuni piped up. "Kyo-chan won't be angry if you wake him up because you're the reason we need him up in the first place!"

I sighed in defeat, knowing Fuyumi would have been my only chance for freedom, and she was currently showering. "Fine. I'm going." The hosts (minus Takashi) beamed at me as I walked past them, and a moment later I was up the stairs. Just in case, I knocked on the door before opening it. A few steps in to the room made it obvious Kyoya was practically dead to the world. "Great," I muttered. I walked over to the other side of the bed and knelt down on the floor. "Ootori-san? You need to get up. We have to leave soon." He didn't even twitch. It was actually a shame; for once, he looked genuinely peaceful and content, and I had to bring him out of it. Cautiously, I reached out and touched his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Ootori-san? Ootori-san." I shook him just a bit more roughly, and his eyes cracked open. I watched as his pupils slowly constricted, and then his gaze focused on me. "Morning," I greeted with a slight smile. "Everyone sent me to wake you because we need to leave soon."

Kyoya didn't respond for a long moment, and part of me wondered if he knew how to sleep with his eyes open. I almost opened my mouth to speak when he suddenly asked, "Why are you in my room?"

I frowned slightly and cocked my head. "Technically, this was Hiroshi's room, but I just told you—we need to leave soon, and everyone volunteered me to wake you."

"Hiroshi's room...?" he murmured, and his gaze shifted above my head. He pushed himself up slightly and glanced around before looking back at me. "Where am I?"

I caught myself before I said something along the lines of "Aww, how cute! You're disoriented when you first wake up!" because I knew he'd remember that and I did _not_ need him to hold that against me at some point. Instead, I said something that was likely to make him mad. "Does the 'I'm not a morning person' persona come out after you officially wake up?"

The black-haired boy narrowed his eyes at me, and I smiled innocently. "That wasn't funny, Nakamura-san," he murmured, but the image lacked a certain gravitas since he was in pajamas, had mussed hair, and didn't have his glasses on. "As you can see, I am awake now, unless you had orders to watch and insure I bathed and dressed."

I scoffed as I stood. "As if I'd follow _those_ orders. Just hurry. As my fourth request, you're eating at least one cinnamon pancake before we leave. I've already made pancakes for everyone else, so I may as well make you eat some, too." I was almost to the door when I stopped and looked at him over my shoulder. By that point, he was already standing with his glasses on. "By the way, everyone exaggerates horrendously about how bad it is to wake you up. Mitsukuni is _much_ worse."

Kyoya quirked a brow, a smirk playing at his lips, but he didn't say anything else, so I turned back toward the door and closed it behind me. At least he hadn't argued with me—that was a plus. **(9)**

* * *

><p>We had made rather decent timing. We'd managed to get to the airport, convince them to let our entire group into the terminal, even though it was just me getting on the plane, and were in the waiting area for my gate with about an hour to spare before my plane left. I was surprised we'd made it through customs so easily, honestly. I was currently standing off to the side with Fuyumi and the twins crowding around me, and I was slightly frightened.<p>

"All right, what's going on?" Fuyumi asked quietly.

I blinked over at her. "What do you mean?"

"Did you order Kyoya-senpai to be nice or something?" Hikaru and Kaoru answered with their own question.

"Pfft. No. Why would I waste my last order on _that_? He's been civil enough since he woke up."

The twins shared a glance and grinned. "Oh," Hikaru murmured.

"That's... interesting," Kaoru added.

I sighed softly and looked at Fuyumi for assistance, but she had the same expression of epiphany on her face as the twins. I barely held back a squeak as I was jerked around to face Tamaki. "Tsuki-hime, what did you do?"

"Tamaki, please let go of me. And I don't know why people keep asking me that. I didn't _do anything_," I stressed.

The blonde host was persistent, though. "You _had_ to. Kyoya's actually being _civil_, and it hasn't even been two hours since you woke him. That's not normal."

"Tamaki, I don't know what to tell you. I gently shook him and told him he needed to wake up. Have any of you considered he might be acting civilly because my father's here?" I queried.

"But why would—"

"Have you forgotten that my father and his are prospective business partners?" I interrupted him. When Tamaki blinked, I knew the answer. "I thought so. Just because he may act a little more like his real self around my father, that doesn't mean he'll let his guard down entirely." I was honestly slightly surprised none of them had put that together considering Kyoya had been next to or near my father since we left the mansion they'd rented for twenty-four hours.

"Sook?" I heard my father call out. I looked around to see him waving me toward him. I quickly made my way over to him and spared a smile at Kyoya before looking back at my father. "They're going to start boarding soon. You should probably start saying your goodbyes."

"Oh, all right. Thanks. I guess I'll start with them," I told him, gesturing toward the four I'd just been speaking to. "Be right back." I made my way back to the group of four and announced, "All right, guys. I'm gonna have to board shortly, so..."

Tamaki, of course, was the first to grab me and hug me. I laughed softly as I hugged him back, and he murmured, "Be safe. Text me when you land." I was about to comment on how mature he was being when he started wailing about how much he'd miss me.

"Tamaki, it's only a couple of months. I'll be back before fall semester starts," I explained, trying to get him to stop causing a scene.

"Come on, boss, we want to say goodbye, too," the twins complained, and I smiled at them gratefully as Tamaki released me.

After they sandwiched me in a hug, Hikaru stated, "We'll see you soon, Tsuki-hime."

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed. "And we'll miss you."

"We better see you in August," they both warned.

I laughed softly, nodding. "I'll miss you guys, too. Feel free to call or text me. If you two get bored enough, I might be able to find a few hours to meet up and hang out with you," I whispered conspiratorially.

The twins shared a look before grinning. "You better keep up your end of that bargain."

"I will." After they released me, I was sandwiched in yet another hug. "I don't know why you two are clinging to me. I _know_ I'll see you two and Hiroshi at the end of the month."

Tamotsu heaved a sigh as he released me. "We're not allowed to be sad about that? We've gotten used to seeing you all the time."

Emiko was slower on releasing me. "Be careful, Kiko-chan. You can call or text us anytime if you need us. Don't do anything crazy, either. We don't need you being thrown in jail in some other country."

"Mimi, what would I possibly do to get thrown in jail?" I questioned tiredly as I quirked a brow at her.

The blonde girl shrugged. "I'm not sure, but you'd manage it."

I rolled my eyes at the remark since the ones who would manage it were her, Hiroshi, and Tamotsu, but I refrained from saying as much. The next person to latch onto me was Mitsukuni, ad I smiled down at him as I smoothed a hand over his hair. "I expect to see you at the end of the month, too. Eat plenty of cake for me, 'kay? I doubt I'll get much sweet food during this tour."

"Of course, Tsuki-chan~ Call us when you get the chance after you land, okay? Takashi and I will worry if we don't hear from you!"

I laughed softly and looked over Mitsukuni's head at the black-haired teen. "Don't worry; I will. My mom won't mind at all." I squeezed Mitsukuni briefly as I murmured, "I'll miss you." When he let go, I moved around him and gave Takashi a quick hug. "I'll miss you, too. And I know you will, but I'm saying it anyway—take care of Mitsukuni."

Takashi smiled shortly with a nod before he lightly patted the top of my head.

I turned to Fuyumi (finally), and she pulled me away from the others. "I know we're not as close as you are with the others, but I wanted to tell you to be careful and let you know that I'll see you when you get back. I also had a favor to ask, if you don't find it too forward."

I blinked in slight surprise at her quiet, rushed tone. "Um, sure, go ahead. I'll do my best to aid you in whatever way I can."

"There's no easy way to say this, and I can't give you an explanation as to why, but... when you say goodbye to my brother, could you call him by his first name?" **(10) **Fuyumi asked hurriedly, her words slightly rushing together.

I felt my mouth drop open in shock. "What?"

Fuyumi gripped my hands tightly as she said imploringly, "Please, Tsukiko—just do that for me. The formality between you two when you're so familiar with each other is really starting to exasperate all of us, and I think Kyoya would really like it if you did."

I bit my lower lip slightly because, even though I didn't mind calling him by name when he _wasn't_ around, I'd feel awkward doing it without preamble. "Can I use an honorific? Call him 'Kyoya-kun,' instead? At least for right now?"

Fuyumi nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! Whatever makes you feel more comfortable. It'd just be great to get you two onto a first-name basis at some point, and I know that he won't be the one to start it."

"I understand," I replied, and I really did. It was highly possible, given our situation, that Kyoya would be a potential husband for me, and it would make people think we disliked each other if, after so long of knowing each other, we still weren't on a first-name basis with one another. And I knew Kyoya well enough to know even he would draw the line at calling someone by their first name without permission, which was why I'd been reluctant to call him by his.

Fuyumi smiled and hugged me. "Thank you! I really appreciate this!"

I smiled back and hugged her, and when I turned around to walk to Kyoya, I suddenly felt nervous. There were several different ways this could work out, ending with him possibly getting angry for me suddenly calling him by his first name without asking permission first. I stopped in front of him, feeling sick. "So," I started and cleared my throat. "I guess I'll see you in August, huh?"

Kyoya smirked, nodding. "Of course. Do try not to do anything stupid that ends up with you in the hospital."

I managed to make a face at him. "You're not funny."

Kyoya chuckled. "Have a safe trip, Nakamura-san."

I opened my mouth to respond when a man announced my flight was boarding. The next moment, Hiroshi was hugging me, and Kyoya was walking to join his sister and the others. After reassuring Hiroshi that I'd call him later that evening, I was pulled into a hug by my father, and he handed my boarding pass and my carry-on bag over to me. "Be careful. Call me when you land, and feel free to call me anytime you want to talk about anything."

I laughed. "Dad, you've already said that." Impulsively, I hugged him again. "I'll miss you," I whispered. "I love you, Daddy."

I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head, and I smiled as he answered, "I'll miss you, too, sweetie. I love you." After a squeeze, he let go of me. "All right, you need to board. I'll see you soon."

I headed toward the gate and took a moment to look back at them. I frowned slightly at the irritated look on Kyoya's face and at the slight frown on Fuyumi's as the twins and Tamaki pestered him about something. I bit down on my lower lip before I called out, "Ne, Kyoya-kun!"

The entire group of people there to see me off blinked at me in shock-the black-haired boy with glasses, especially. "Number five: be patient with them for the rest of the day. If they really bother you, feel free to hit them over the head!" He managed to nod, but he still seemed shocked. I laughed and called, "Have a good summer, Kyoya-kun!"

With a slight wave, I turned around and filed into the gate behind an elderly couple. They both glanced over their shoulders to smile at me, and after I smiled back, the man spoke up with a nod toward my group. "That your boyfriend?"

I felt my jaw drop as my face heated up. "I-I'm sorry... w-who?"

The woman replied this time, grinning. "The young man you were calling to. 'Kyoya-kun,' was it?"

"Oh! Um, no, definitely not. That's the first time I've called him by name, actually. His sister asked me to since apparently all our friends thought five months was long enough with formalities," I explained, even though the explanation sounded awkward.

"Oh, is that so?" the woman queried. "Well, that's a shame. You two looked cute together."

I blinked up at her. Was she even aware _which_ boy I was calling out to? "Cute? Kyoya and I?"

Both of them nodded. "Oh, yes," the woman replied.

"I kind of feel bad for the boy. I remember being in that position," the man murmured.

I was quickly getting confused. "I'm sorry, but... are you sure we're talking about the same boy?"

The man chuckled. "Of course we are. The young man you were speaking to earlier, who was interrupted by the announcement of our flight boarding."

"Yes, the one with the glasses," the woman added to clarify.

I was still confused, though. "You said you 'remember being in that position,' sir. May I ask what position?"

They both looked startled. "Huh," the man muttered. "It's exactly my position."

The woman laughed kindly as she asked, "Don't you mean 'our,' dear?" I was getting slightly irritated with their vague responses. She looked back at me with a gentle smile. "My husband and I were in the same predicament when we were around your age. I wasn't aware, either, at first, but he ended up noticing enough for the both of us."

"She didn't make it easy, either. It was a lot more difficult to tell her than it should have been. Every time I composed myself enough to try, something or someone would interfere." He sounded exasperated but highly amused at the thought.

I had a feeling where all this was going. "That actually does sound really sweet, but Kyoya and I aren't like that. Really."

They shared another glance before the woman chuckled. "Maybe not right now, but you'll notice it before too long. And so will he, if he hasn't noticed your feelings already."

_My feelings? What on earth...? _ These two had to be mistaken. I was dense when it came to noticing some things, but that certainly wouldn't be one of them.

"I don't think it's there quite yet. Just give it time. But to save that young man the trouble when you do finally realize it—he has feelings for you. Plain as day," the man explained. **(11)**

Apparently the look on my face must have been skeptical because the woman said, "It's true. You should have waited just a bit longer to turn around, because the way he looked after you called out to him was extremely telling. Not to mention all the knowing grins your friends—and I assume your father—shared after _they _saw it."

I took a quick glance over my shoulder, but it all looked pleasantly normal to me. The twins and Tamaki were bickering about something while the others (minus Kyoya) watched in partial amusement and partial worry. Kyoya had his arms crossed and looked tired, but he also looked slightly amused. When I looked back at the couple, they were watching me.

"Well, obviously, I was glancing back a little late, but I'm still confused. He's not really the type of guy who keeps his opinion to himself—at least, not when he's talking to all of us. So I don't see why he wouldn't have said anything if he does," I explained, frowning slightly.

The man answered this time, smiling wryly. "Do _you_ tell people you like as more than a friend that you like them, even if you aren't sure they like you?"

I blinked before replying, "Actually, yes. That's how my last boyfriend and I got together. I wanted to tell him so he'd know and wouldn't be doing anything that might unintentionally lead me on. I don't like holding that kind of thing in. I get agitated."

The elderly couple laughed, sharing yet another look. "You're one in a million, then, dear," the woman answered. "Your young man is probably a little worried about telling you because he knows you'll reject him, and it would put a strain on your friendship more than it already has. He'll tell you when he feels comfortable."

I wanted to protest and say that it wouldn't bother him, but an image of Takashi flashed in my mind, and I paused. Now _that _could be a reason—my ex-boyfriend was close (or somewhat close) with Kyoya, and I could see him keeping quiet because of that. But I still couldn't wrap my mind around the main issue, and I wasn't ready to accept the couple's words as fact because they didn't know Kyoya, or me.

Besides, there was no way Kyoya Ootori had feelings for me.

...Right?

* * *

><p><strong>(1) So, that's a half-truth. He <em>did<em> manage to get a little bit of work done, so that's the truth. However, there was no discussion to decide if she'd stay curled up against him; the Host Club just glanced at Kyoya and got out. Lol. Not like he's complaining, though~**

**(2) Whenever I get home, I'll post the links to the bathing suit pictures on my profile (assuming I remember). If I happen to forget to do that, just send me a PM (or tell me in a review) if you want to see them, and I'll supply the links somehow.**

**(3) This is a very brusque statement, even for Kyoya, so I thought I'd explain it. If you don't know what the game Chicken is (since that's what we call it where I live), it's where you have several people working in pairs. One person will sit on another person's shoulders and try to throw the other pair off balance. Whoever falls and hits the water first loses. Tsukiko would be sitting on Hiroshi's shoulders in this, so you have to picture this from Kyoya's view. The girl he likes is sitting on some other guy's shoulders wearing a bathing suit the _twins_ chose for her, and the guy whose shoulders she's sitting on is someone really close to her and has his hands on her thighs to keep her from falling off. So he's going to be just a _little_ possessive in regards to it.**

**(4) That is complete bull. Yes, she thinks the guys could be _considered_ attractive, but she doesn't think all of them _are_. And she especially doesn't think they're as attractive as Kyoya. But if she admitted that, Hiroshi would never let her live it down.**

**(5) I just wanted to address a couple of things. As you all (hopefully) know, Kyoya and Kaoru end up being fairly close friends. I'm _trying_ to make things work out where Sook and Kaoru are fairly close as well, since I think I'll be needing it at some point. I also think Kaoru seriously needs someone to talk to that isn't his brother, and Tsuki's been helping them both already, so Kaoru feels fine revealing a little bit about himself and Hikaru to her. The major thing I wanted to address here, though, is how I said Hikaru was inclined to like her—that is _not_ in the same way Hikaru ends up liking Haruhi. Tsukiko is like a sister-figure to them more than anything. Just wanted to point that out so I don't have people getting pissed off about it. The only person who hardcore likes Sook is Kyoya (and Tamaki's actually grown out of his crush by now, just so you know; he just likes to be dramatic).**

**(6) These are the sorts of situations Kyoya's jealousy get him in. He didn't mean to snap at them, but it was bothering him the way the two were acting. When Tsuki got slightly upset about it, though, he was basically thinking that she shouldn't be allowed to make such a face and told her to disregard it so that he wasn't inclined to tell her what he was really thinking.**

**(7) This is totally an after-thought for him. It was just him being jealous, once again, but this time he was able to blame it on Takashi, who couldn't care less about Hiroshi and Tsuki's antics together. Hiroshi's the only one of the two who will notice that Kyoya's jealous, though.**

**(8) So I wanted a slight cliché for them, and that was one of the few things I could come up with. I don't think Sook would ever feed Kyoya, but she would easily share a dessert with him. I just figured it could be a cute little scene between them, and I needed her to owe Kyoya favor for something I want to have happen later on. I'll bring it up when I get to it.**

**(9) The fact that she was able to wake Kyoya without him getting pissy should have been a flashing neon sign that something was up. Poor Sook just has no idea what she's getting herself into, especially since they will all know that he's much more pleasant when he sees her right after he wakes up. She'll likely be the one sent to wake him up more often (if there is ever a need for it after that).**

**(10) You remember that one time I made a note of Fuyumi getting upset that Tsukiko and Kyoya were still calling each other by their last names? That's where this comes in. She's had it planned out ever since she figured out Kyoya liked Tsuki. She just needed a chance to make it happen.**

**(11) This couple was a spontaneous decision that I chose to act on because I felt bad for Kyoya since Tsuki is just totally oblivious to his feelings. Plus, I wanted to give her something to think about. Their reunion next chapter is very...telling, in regards to her developed feelings finally being noticed.**

Ugh. So many notes to address, but I don't want to confuse you guys or leave you in the dark about it.

So, this chapter's title is "What You Do to Me" by We the Kings. It's going to be from Kyoya's side, yet again, because I think it fits this chapter really well, from his view. But maybe that's just me. (I also kinda wanted to use "Intoxicated" by The Cab, but I didn't think it worked as well.)

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! As always, I would _love _some feedback. I still have a couple more chapters before I start with the episodes, but there will be some TsuKyo starting in the next chapter~ Hopefully, I'll have the chapter ready for you by next week (and it seems to be going well enough that I will).

Thanks for reading!

**~ DM ;)**


	10. Fallin' for You

_Disclaimer: The fact that I'm writing this should be enough to say I don't own Ouran Host Club._

So my computer died right in the middle of my beautiful author's note, and I'm too lazy to write it all again. In essence, if you haven't checked my profile for the reasoning behind the late update, then please do that if you're curious. I'm going to try and keep that updated with what I'm doing at the moment (so shortly, that information should change to say I'm working on chapter eleven). Also, do you guys remember how I mentioned a story I hadn't updated in two years? Yes, well, my friend got tired of waiting, so she literally stole my notebook and held it ransom until I wrote the two chapters I owed her. So, yeah, this story was held for ransom; how sad is that?

Anyway, enough about that! This chapter is nowhere near as long as the last one. It's only a little over 19 pages. :( But I couldn't think of anything else to put into it that didn't stick out as extremely odd, so yeah... it's just going to have to be that way. I really hope you guys like it because I enjoyed writing it. The ending seems a little random, but I cut it off there because... well, I just couldn't figure out a different place to cut it off. [/shrugs]

Regarding the next chapter, I'm practically vibrating with excitement. I cannot wait to get it written and out there for you guys. It's going to involve that favor Tsuki owes Kyoya from the last chapter. And it's likely going to be something you guys totally won't expect. The best news I can give you is that TsuKyo _should_ start happening in that chapter; if not, it'll start happening in chapter twelve! Just be patient with me a _little_ longer, guys. It's coming. :)

You guys are totally awesome, by the way! Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter! I managed to get five, so it was a rather useful motivator for whenever I finally got to write again. You guys have no idea how much reviews make my heart happy, and I seriously appreciate every one I get!

**Ashlyn Braere,** it's great to see you again! I hope this update was quick enough, even though it's been, like, two months. [/is shot] I'm sorry for the delay, but it's better than what I was doing before I had two chapters in a row. ^^; I hope this chapter is "long" enough for you, dear! Thank you again for the lovely review! :)

**Hidden Depths of the Mind**, hello! Also, please excuse me while I fangirl over your review: kyaaa~ I'm so glad you like it~~! :DDD Your review seriously made me one of the happiest writers ever! I'm totally excited that you like Tsuki; I've tried my best not to make her into some sort of Mary-Sue character (so much so that I even took a test to see if she was, and it claimed she was not) so it's nice to hear that people like her. (OC's are quite difficult in stories like this.) I'm also glad that you think I've kept Kyoya in character because that's probably the greatest worry I have. I love Kyoya, and I'd hate to be told I screwed up his character. Thank you very much for your input because it's kept me motivated when I've been dealing with lots of familial and school issues~

**RANDOM COOKIE NINJA**, I love the name. I wish I'd come up with something as epic as that, but alas! I suck with names, haha. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I hope I can continue to keep the status of "one of [your] favorite Kyoya/OC pairings" as we go along. Things shouldn't change too much between them, so hopefully that won't be a problem. I know it's been a rather long wait, and I apologize for that, but life hates me right now. I'm hoping to get better with updates. :)

**ronnieangell**, reviews are awesome! So thank you very much for yours! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)

**Brix8**, I'm updating! I know it's later than you likely hoped, but it's here! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story, and I really want to say: wow, that's a dedication I've never expected for one of my stories; I know I've done it for others, but holy cow, that's a huge honor! I'll try my best to update more quickly! Pinky promise!

Okay, I'll shut up now, guys. Hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter x<strong>_

The moment I sat down, I chugged the bottle of water one of the crew had given me. When I felt the sofa bounce slightly, I grinned down at the young dancer. "You did a great job out there tonight, Kurisa. I feel like everyone I have to do a show for during other tours is going to be angry, especially when footage of this summer tour is released."

Kurisa beamed under the praise, sipping at her water. She looked up at me like she was about to say something when one of the crew came in with a camera.

"Tsukiko, say something to your fans!" the redhead exclaimed, grinning.

I laughed and shook my head. "Natsuo, put the camera down!"

Natsuo pouted slightly. "C'mon, Sook. It's for your _fans._"

I felt my face flushing slightly as I laughed nervously. "What should I say?"

"Anything! Preferably about the summer tour, though," Natsuo recommended.

I thought for a long moment. "This is awkward. Now you know why I don't do interviews," I sighed, smiling slyly. "So, anything about the summer tour... Well, it was lots of fun. Thank you all for your support. I've never had so many sold out concerts, so I really enjoyed that... Um, for those of you who were able to come to my concerts this summer, you got to see a special treat—I had my dancer Kurisa with me." Natsuo briefly shifted the view onto Kurisa (who smiled shyly and waved) before returning its focus to me. "For those of you who didn't, don't hate me, but I think her schooling is more important than continuing to tour with me later. Hopefully, though, you all had as much fun as I did!"

Natsuo gave me a thumbs-up before adding, "Would you be willing to answer a few personal questions since you refuse to do talk shows?"

"Do you have permission from my manager to ask them?" I asked, grinning.

"Aww, don't be a spoil-sport! Just a few questions!" Natsuo cajoled.

I glanced at Kurisa before sighing patiently. "I'm only going to answer what I'm comfortable with, but all right—why not?"

"Awesome! So—you kind of fell off the radar at the end of January. Why was that? Where'd you go?"

"I'm not sure how I 'fell off the radar' since the school was abuzz, but I moved back to Japan. My father lives there, and I was missing him a lot. I can only assume my school and my father tried to keep it toned down," I explained.

"What school is that?"

I wasn't sure I was allowed to answer that, so I answered vaguely, "Ouran." There was a public high school nearby with that name, so it could easily cause confusion.

"Are you enjoying Japan?"

I smiled fondly as I nodded. "Very much so. My dad and I are getting along very well, and I've been reunited with my best friends—and have made a lot more. The school's also rather open about the classes you can take, so it can be rigorous academically."

"What does your father do for a living?"

I laughed with a shrug. "I'm not sure I can properly explain it, but he owns and manages a company. That's about all I'm privy to."

"All right, what about your personal life?"

"I thought all of this _was _my personal life," I teased.

Natsuo briefly glared at me. "You know what I meant. Are you dating someone? If not, is there a possibility you might be taken soon?"

"Are you sure this is for the interview section, Natsuo?" I queried jokingly, and the redhead made an impatient gesture. "I can't imagine why you're still single with how well you're behaving behind that camera," I muttered sarcastically before taking a sip of my water. "But anyway, I am currently single, and I'm not sure if there's anyone I'm interested in."

It was at that moment that an image of Kyoya popped up in my mind, and I felt my lips curl into a smile as an almost automatic response. _'Whoa. When did _that _happen?' _I felt my face flush as I begrudgingly admitted, "Well, that may not be entirely true. I'll have to get back to you on that."

Natsuo grinned, quirking a brow. "Oh? The infamous Nakamura Tsukiko has a crush?"

My face burned hotter at the teasing, and I announced, "Okay, this interview's over."

"Aw, come on, Tsuki!" Natsuo cajoled, laughing. "I'm not asking who it is; it was a 'yes' or 'no' question!"

I shook my head adamantly. "Nope. It's over, Natsuo. I'm not answering any more questions."

When Natsuo looked ready to protest, he was cut off. "I believe she said it was over, Natsuo. Shut off your camera or find someone else to bother, but it won't be my daughter."

Natsuo paled visibly and murmured a quick, "Yes'm," before scurrying off.

I frowned slightly at my mother as she took a seat beside Kurisa. "You didn't have to run him off. He's harmless compared to reporters and news casters."

"I didn't tell him he _had _to leave. I gave him a choice," my mother responded with a shrug.

"Well, yeah, but you did it in your 'you-know-the-correct-option' voice," I retorted, using air quotes.

My mother was getting exasperated, which had been common during this tour. She refused to admit when she was wrong, which made me worry we wouldn't part on decent terms. "Tsukiko, he knows not to harass you. He was doing just that."

I bit back my automatic response to argue when I noticed Kurisa's parents lingering in the hallway. Knowing they likely didn't want to stick around, I jumped up and pulled Kurisa into a hug. "All right, sweetie. Your parents are here. Thank you so much for all your hard work! Don't hesitate to call me if you ever need anything or want to hang out, okay?" I pulled back and smiled down at her. "I'll miss you. I've had so much fun with you. It kind of makes me wish I'd been a big sister."

She latched onto my waist once more. "Thank you, Tsuki. I'll miss you, too." She sounded close to tears, so I lightly guided her over to her parents.

"Thank you for giving her this opportunity. You're a really sweet girl," her mother spoke with a warm smile as her dad scooped her up.

"Thank you both for letting her join me. I've heard nothing but good reviews about her. I hope it hasn't and doesn't cause you guys any issues. We've tried to keep her information private. If anything becomes a problem, tell me, and we'll work it out for you. Thank you again," I repeated, smiling brightly at them.

A minute later my mother and I were (for all intents and purposes) alone. I sighed softly as I sat down across from her. I was exhausted, and I was so glad the tour was over. I wanted to go back home and see all my friends and my father. My mother was much easier to deal with over phone calls. It didn't help that something was irritating her, and had been since she first saw me at the airport.

"Well," my mother announced after a tense moment of silence, "I guess we better get packed up here and go back to the hotel. We have a busy day tomorrow."

I frowned slightly and furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

My mother laughed softly. "We have a flight to catch tomorrow evening, but a lot has to be done before we board it."

Anger and dread snuggled up together in my stomach. "A flight to where?"

She sighed lightly, shaking her head. "Home, of course!" Like it was a no-brainer.

"You mean America," I stated flatly.

She studied me carefully. "I do not like that tone."

"Well, I don't like having my decisions made for me. And my plans have_ always_ been to go back to Japan. I fit in over here. I have _friends_—lots of them, actually. I'm getting to spend time with my old friends, _and _I almost constantly get to see my father that I didn't see for seven years because we moved to a different continent. As my mother, I had thought you'd noticed that I am really happy here through my phone calls. But maybe I thought wrong; or maybe I was simply stupid to think my happiness would be enough of a reason for you to let me stay. I wasn't aware it was only going to be a trial."

My mother's voice lowered as she hissed, "Don't you _dare_ talk to me that way, young lady! You haven't even allowed me to give an explanation, nor have you asked—"

"When were you planning to _tell _me, Mom? You had already booked a flight, obviously, and you never even breathed a word about me going back. Instead, Dad told the hosts about it, and I had to find out through one of them that my mother expected me to go back to America, no questions asked," I snapped, purposely raising my voice.

"Well, I see at least one thing I don't like about your time in Japan: your manners. You never cut me off midsentence or caused scenes in public places," my mother replied haughtily, completely ignoring everything I had said.

"Because you're_ not listening_!" I exclaimed. She made a show of putting a hand over her heart, as if I'd startled her by my outburst. "And you aren't explaining _anything_! I don't know if you think I've forgotten in just a few months, but I _know_ when you're avoiding the real issue, which means you either don't have a real reason or you don't want to tell me the reason. And unless you have a valid reason and tell me that reason, I'm not going back to America. You can't make me, and if I honestly have to fight with you over this, all I have to do is take a trip to a lawyer's office and get a child custody form drawn. I'm almost positive Dad would sign it."

My mother frowned down at me. "If you're going to insist on being childish about it, then I'm going to set down some rules. I will allow you to stay in Japan _on the conditions_ that you continue to stay in that penthouse, that you email me every day, call me _twice _a week, _and _consent to extending your tour."

My mouth dropped open in shock at the last condition. "What about my _schooling_?"

"Your father and I know the school board director. I'm sure we can work something out," she answered, waving her hand slightly.

I gritted my teeth, closing my eyes and forcing myself to keep from snapping back at her since I knew this was the easiest way to deal with it. "Fine. _If _you can work it out, I'll do it, but if _not_, you cannot use that condition against me."

"Of course, dear," my mother replied, but the tone of her voice let me know she was only saying it to placate me.

I kept quiet because there was nothing else to say. At least, nothing that I wanted to have fall on deaf ears. **(1)**

* * *

><p>It's going to sound horrible, but saying goodbye to my mother was nothing like saying goodbye to my father and friends. We shared a quick hug and brief goodbyes as we parted ways at her terminal, and then several hours later, I was landing back in Japan somewhat late in the evening. I was actually feeling tired and had high hopes that I could sleep the next day, even though I knew it wasn't all that likely.<p>

When I emerged from the terminal, I saw the flash of my father's red hair and barely refrained from running to him. I had missed him a lot more than I originally thought, and I felt my throat constrict slightly as I held back tears. I released my bags the moment I reached him, and I hugged him tightly. He chuckled against my hair, and I murmured, "I missed you, Daddy."

I felt him kiss the top of my head before he replied warmly, "I missed you, too, Sook."

"Hey, don't we get any hugs?" two voices asked that sounded suspiciously like the Hitachiin twins'.

I pulled away from my father and blinked in shock at the twins. "You guys... came to pick me up from the airport?" They grinned and nodded, and I darted to them, swallowing back tears (yet again) as they both wrapped their arms around me.

Their chuckles hit my ears, and I felt my face flush in slight embarrassment as they teased, "We saw you a few weeks ago."

"Oh, shut up and enjoy the moment, would you?" I snapped back half-heartedly.

"Did you say..." Hikaru trailed off.

"...for us to 'enjoy the moment,' Tsuki-hime?" Kaoru finished, his tone slightly suggestive.

I sighed in fake exasperation and pushed them away. "Pervs," I muttered, but I betrayed myself by grinning at their smirking faces.

"Hey, they aren't the only ones here!" a female voice exclaimed, and I grinned over at Emiko as she and Tamotsu squeezed in front of Hikaru and Kaoru. I was sandwiched in yet another hug, and I hugged the siblings back tightly.

"I missed you guys. I wish you and Hiroshi could have stayed with me," I murmured.

It apparently prompted them to huge me even more tightly as they made pitying noises.

"Tsuki-himeee! I want a hug, too!" Tamaki whined loudly, and I saw his arms flailing over Tamotsu's head.

The two siblings released me, and I laughed softly, quirking my brow at the blonde host. "Well, Tamaki?" To emphasize my point, I held my arms away from my sides slightly. The blonde's face lit up, and he jerked me to him in his usual, uncomfortably crushing hug.

When he started wailing in his half-French, half-Japanese rant, I started struggling slightly. His hold only tightened, which caused me to gasp in slight pain.

"Tama-chan, you're hurting her!" I heard Mitsukuni exclaim, and I could have sworn I heard a slight pout to his tone.

Tamaki released me and started apologizing, so (as usual) I ignored him and turned towards Mitsukuni. He didn't need any more encouragement than that, and I laughed when he darted to me and clung to me, burying his face into my shoulder and mumbling something unintelligible. My face softened into a smile as I threaded a hand into his blonde locks. "I missed you, too, Mitsukuni. It's been the longest few weeks ever, especially these past few days."

I felt a hand rest on my head, so I tilted my head slightly to smile at Takashi. "Welcome home, Tsuki-hime," he muttered in his typical tone.

"Thanks, Takashi," I replied with a warm smile.

"Don't I get a hug?" a female's voice queried, and Mitsukuni let go of me (albeit reluctantly) so that I could hug the raven-haired female. Before I pulled back, she whispered, "I want to talk to you later, if we get the chance." **(2)**

I blinked at her but smiled and nodded.

It suddenly struck me that if _Fuyumi_ was here, then surely...

I whipped my head to the side to see the black-haired boy standing off to the side patiently, like he was waiting for the reunion session to finish. When his gaze shifted to meet mine, he smiled slightly at me, and I gave up on all pretenses and impulsively ran and jumped at him. He made a startled noise and stumbled slightly, but he did manage to catch himself before falling back. This was my first time hugging him, so I'd expected it to be slightly awkward (especially for him) but he was extremely tense and didn't seem to know what to do with his arms.

And then he had to make it worse by stating amusedly, "I didn't expect you to be this excited to see _me_."

My common sense came crashing back into me, and I think I actually _squeaked_ as I jerked away from him, my face blood red. "S-sorry!" I stuttered, backing away from him. "I—I don't... I don't know why I hugged you. I guess I just... figured I'd hugged everyone else, so... yeah..." I finished explaining lamely.

Kyoya's eyes narrowed slightly for a few seconds as he seemed to assess my reaction, and the moment he seemed to come to a conclusion, he seemed slightly surprised before his lips quirked into a smirk, and then he crossed his arms with a knowing look. **(3)**

Well, shit. I'd seriously _just _come to terms that I _might _have feelings for the guy, and he already knew it. I opened my mouth to say something when I was suddenly pulled into another pair of familiar arms. "Didn't you forget someone?" Hiroshi's teasing voice hit my ears, and I relaxed in relief as I looked up at him.

"It's not my fault you're slow on the uptake," I retorted, grinning as I turned around and hugged him.

Hiroshi mocked feeling offended. "I am not slow. I was merely being patient since I saw you the most recently."

I laughed and reached up to pat his right cheekbone. "Aww, aren't you a little sweetheart," I mocked.

Hiroshi's response was to stick his tongue out at me. "Brat," he remarked affectionately as he released me.

"As exciting as all of this is, we're going to be late for our dinner reservations if we don't get out of the airport," my father announced amusedly, and at that everyone jumped into action.

As I went to grab my luggage, it was picked up before I could lay a finger on it. "Hey!" I exclaimed with a frown at the perpetrators.

"A lady doesn't carry her luggage when there are gentlemen who can carry it for her," the twins recited in unison, grinning at me.

"But—" I started to protest as an arm hooked around mind and I was suddenly being dragged along.

"There's no use in fighting it, Tsuki-chan~" Mitsukuni chirped as he beamed up at me. "You know that we're just gonna get our way. We always do!"

I heaved a sigh and slumped slightly in defeat. But it was nice to know things hadn't changed. In fact, if anything, this group of boys seemed more like a family than ever.

* * *

><p>I wasn't entirely sure how it ended up happening, but it seemed like something was out to get me.<p>

Unlike my "thank you" celebration, we were at some fancy seafood restaurant, which I was completely happy about. The seating arrangement was a little awkward for me, though. My father was seated to my left with Emiko sitting to his left at the end of the table. Tamotsu was seated across from my father with Hiroshi next to him (across from me). To Hiroshi's left (my right) was Mitsukuni, and beside him was Takashi. Kaoru was seated to Takashi's left and Hikaru was seated at the end of the table (basically "across" from Emiko). To Hikaru's left was Tamaki, and Fuyumi was next to him. Finally, to Fuyumi's left was Kyoya, which meant he was sitting right beside me. _How _we'd ended up that way was a complete mystery to me, especially since I thought it was fairly obvious that I was feeling awkward enough around Kyoya—I really didn't see how sitting next to him for the next hour or so would be helpful.

Thankfully, for the first few minutes I was too preoccupied with figuring out what I wanted to eat, and my father only made it harder by pointing out the sushi menu nearby. I frowned down at my menu, and he laughed softly. "Sook, I can get us an order of whatever you want as an appetizer. This restaurant is known for their small portions, particularly so when it comes to sushi."

I blinked and peered up at him like he was insane. "If they're known for their small portions, then why are we here?"

"Because it's all fresh," Hiroshi answered, and I looked over at him with a quirked brow. "Most places don't have tanks full of live sea animals because it's nearly impossible to keep them alive, but they have enough customers each day to use everything in the tanks that they've caught that morning. Their menu and their prices for that day depend on how well their catch is."

I found myself grinning. "Let me guess—you chose the place?"

Hiroshi grinned back. "Guilty as charged. The owner is close friends with my dad, so this is a place we frequent." He glanced back at his menu before adding, "And I'd suggest the kani if you're getting sushi. They make the best I've ever eaten."

I gasped, "They have kani!?"

My father chuckled. "Well, I know what we're getting, then."

I felt someone's gaze on me, so I glanced at Kyoya to find him looking at me with a quirked brow. "...what?" I ventured to ask after a moment's pause.

"That was a very enthusiastic response to a type of sushi you can find practically anywhere," Kyoya commented.

I shook my head. "You don't understand. Not just any place has the traditional, good kani. Many places now will cook the crab meat and just throw it in the freezer to be used again at a later date. In the States, you're lucky to find it on some menus, and even then I've seen it done the way they do California Rolls—with the _rice _on the outside. I have not had decent kani in _years_."

Kyoya chuckled quietly. "Is it really that good?"

I blinked at him, my mouth agape. "Do you just not try _anything_?" When he opened his mouth to answer, I stopped him. "And I don't count what I've forced or coerced you to try. Or others."

Kyoya lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. "Not often. I don't enjoy wasting money on the unknown."

"You don't _have _to waste money to do it. You can always ask to try things. I know for a fact that no one at this table would tell you 'no.' So you don't have an excuse," I retorted.

Kyoya looked like he was about to argue with me, but our waiters arrived to take our orders. I ended up getting snow crab legs, and my father asked for an order of kani to be brought out to us. I listened to the idle chatter going on around me and fiddled with my silverware as I tried not to allow myself to think about anything. Things between my mother and I had been left strained, and I honestly wasn't sure what to do about it because we'd actually always had a decent relationship.

But these past two months, the woman I'd spent them with had not been my mother—at least, not the side I was used to seeing. She had treated me like a stranger—like some employee she could only tolerate—and it had _hurt_.

"Tsukiko."

My head snapped up at the sound of my name, and I stared at Kyoya incredulously. "Did... did you just call me by my first name?"

The black-haired boy's expression became slightly guarded as he answered, "Yes."

My face split into a grin as a sense of elation flowed through me. "Does that mean I can call you 'Kyoya' now?"

His expression shifted, but into what I didn't know since he lifted his head to allow a glare to glint off his glasses. "Yes," he answered quietly. **(4)**

Giggling, I took a sip of my drink before realizing he'd said my name for a reason. "Sorry," I murmured, shifting my gaze back to him. "Did you have a question?"

Kyoya hesitated before answering, "No. You looked upset from whatever train of thought you were following."

I was startled, and when the implication hit home, I felt my heart flutter slightly. He'd been worried about me? I ducked my head to hide a grin and acted like I was just getting a drink. I felt a light kick to my shin that caused me to look up at Hiroshi. He had raised eyebrows so I mouthed, "I'll tell you later." He made a face to show he wasn't satisfied, but he didn't bother me about it.

The waiter arrived with our order of sushi, and I waited as patiently as I could (which may have involved some fidgeting in my seat). My father's eyes flicked over to me, and he laughed as he motioned for me to get some. "Go ahead, Sook," he murmured, his voice thick with amusement.

I flashed him a grin and immediately separated half the order onto a different saucer before pushing the original one toward him. He chuckled and picked up his chopsticks. I turned slightly to face Kyoya, using my own chopsticks to pick up a section of the kani roll. "Do you like wasabi?" I asked as an afterthought.

Kyoya apparently realized I was speaking to him because he looked over at me. "It wouldn't hurt to add it," he answered after a moment of contemplation.

I smiled and scooped some wasabi onto the kani roll, then proceeded to hold it all out to him. He seemed to realize I wasn't going to feed it to him because he reached out to take the chopsticks from my hand. He contemplated the sushi for a short moment before finally popping it into his mouth. I waited patiently as he closed his eyes, obviously tasting the roll as he chewed.

"Well?" I prompted after I saw him swallow.

Kyoya handed the chopsticks back to as he opened his eyes and directed his attention to me. "It was good, but I don't believe I understand your obvious enjoyment of it," he answered, smirking slightly as I scowled at him.

I ignored him and promptly turned back to the rest of my kani roll, scooping another piece off the plate with my chopsticks and eating it. I had to refrain from doing something embarrassing (like moaning) at the taste—crab was easily one of my favorite foods, probably because it tasted slightly sweet. I chanced a glance at Kyoya to see him regarding me with slightly fond amusement, and I felt heat steal into my face and burn my ears as I averted my gaze, staring intently at my kani roll.

This was going to be a really long dinner.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, dinner wasn't as awkward as I had expected it to be. Granted, that <em>might<em> have had something to do with the face that I avoided looking in Kyoya's general direction, but those were details.

Of course, just because I managed to skate by without any more awkward moments with Kyoya, that didn't mean I got away entirely unscathed. That evening, Hiroshi managed to get approval to stay with me at my father's mansion, and we were lounging in my room while some random movie played on my television. We had mainly been discussing our summer (and the oddness of how my mom had acted) when he gave me a calculating look I knew all too well.

"So, Sook, speaking of odd developments..." Hiroshi hedged, his lips twitching into a smirk. "What's with the flustered response to Kyoya?"

My face betrayed me by heating up instantly, and I coughed delicately. "I honestly just noticed it myself yesterday, and I definitely was not prepared for it. I've reacted irrationally to him all evening."

Hiroshi snickered, waving a hand flippantly. "Oh, no need to tell me that. The moment you hugged him I knew something was up, and then you became the color of a tomato and started stammering. I'm pretty sure everyone noticed, and it was rather obvious Kyoya did."

An odd weight settled in my chest, and I averted my gaze to the fox plushie in my hands, fiddling with it. "Yeah," I murmured. "I noticed that."

There was a thick silence between us, and I heard Hiroshi audibly close his mouth as though he'd been about to say something. After another moment, he cleared his throat. "It's not too bad, though. He didn't resort to a foul mood, so obviously it's not something that makes him angry."

I nodded absently before making a split-second decision, and I looked up at him. "This elderly couple thinks Kyoya likes me," I blurted. Hiroshi blinked in shock (and a little confusion) so I elaborated. "It was at the airport at the beginning of the summer. They saw me saying bye to Kyoya, and then they glanced at me when I yelled to him. They said we looked cute together, and I had to have them clarify. Eventually, the man told me he thought Kyoya had feelings for me and that I needed to tell him that I liked him the moment I realized it." I paused and Hiroshi kept quiet since he knew I was going to continue. "Of all the times for me to get nervous about telling someone something, it would be now and would, of course, involve Kyoya Ootori. I honestly think the world is out to get me."

Hiroshi laughed, though not unkindly. "I don't think 'nervous' is the right word. You were plenty more nervous with Takashi. You're really only hesitant about telling Kyoya, though I don't see why. He probably already knows, so you'd only be telling him just to make it official."

"Yeah, well, news flash, Hiroshi—I don't _want_ to tell him. I'm kind of mortified that I couldn't keep myself calm as it was. I don't want to imagine telling him I like him. Besides, I seriously just came to the conclusion I might like him about... oh, twenty-four hours ago. So I can't say I'm absolutely certain that I do like him that way. I could simply think I do, and I'm just...over reacting," I explained, though I don't think I sounded too sure about my statement.

Hiroshi snorted. "If it makes you feel better to think that, then okay. But keep in mind I know you very well, Sook, and watching you return to your senses after practically tackling Kyoya to the ground was quite telling—if the near-tackle wasn't enough," he teased with a slight smirk.

I didn't have a reply to that, so I turned back to my fox plushie. "Do you really think he would've said or done something if he didn't like that I may like him?" I asked softly.

Hiroshi's face softened into a warm smile. "Do you really think Kyoya would hide his irritation from you?"

I bit down on my lower lip in thought before admitting, "No, not really."

"Then you already know the answer to your own question," he replied, reaching over and squeezing my arm softly. His smile grew as he added, "Besides I'm almost positive he's straight, and he'd have to be gay to not at least want you for your looks."

I rolled my eyes and threw a pillow at him. "Not everyone's attracted to people based on their looks, and even then, everyone has a different opinion on who is beautiful or handsome," I retorted.

"Oh, I know. We've disagreed often enough on looks in the past. Though I do have to say that you have very good tastes this time. He's cute," Hiroshi stated with a grin.

I scowled at him before I could stop myself, and he burst out laughing. I felt my face flash darkly and muttered, "I hate you."

Hiroshi's laughter turned into a big grin, and he replied, "That was adorable, Sook. I wonder if Kyoya knows you're a jealous type of girl. Probably not since you didn't show those tendencies with Takashi." After a short pause, he added, "Huh, maybe you really do like Kyoya, then."

I sighed and shook my head. "Can we please stop talking about this? I'd much prefer to get this all sorted out on my own."

Hiroshi frowned slightly before nodding, his expression shifting into a slight smile. "You wanna go see if we can find some ice cream?"

I laughed softly before proceeding to stand up, and Hiroshi followed suit. Though I knew Hiroshi would likely bring it up again in the future, at least he knew when to stop pestering me, which wasn't something I could say for all my friends.

* * *

><p>I released a sigh as I looked up at the ceiling of my living room, listening to the phone ring as I waited on my mother to pick up. It was the first day I had to call her to keep up my end of the bargain, and I was honestly demanding it.<p>

"Tsuki," my mother greeted. "I can't talk for very long today since I'm at work."

That was good news. "Oh, all right. Did something happen?"

There was a slight sigh, and I imagined she was probably taking the moment to relax in her chair. "Yes and no. We're trying to make a business deal with another corporation like ours, but we're having a hard time pitching it to them."

"Is it a family-run business? Or is it more like the one you're running?" I queried.

"It's family-run, wherein lies the issue. They don't really want anything do with us, even though they need our help since they'll be losing the company anyway without it," my mother answered.

I made a humming noise to show I was thinking, and I bit down on my lower lip. My mother always had been bad with corporations like that, which was why my father and I had never understood how she'd managed before they married. "What's their main worry?" I asked.

I heard some papers shuffling around before she answered. "I'm not entirely sure. We've made it clear that the father and son who currently own it will still run things—so we're not putting them out of a job. We're just planning to help them financially, though we will of course reap a percentage of the profits. Darrel said the man kept saying something about their family, though."

I narrowed my eyes at the ceiling while trying to think over what could be an issue for them. "Small or large business?"

"Hm... kind of small, I suppose," my mother answered, and I imagined she would probably be mentally counting faces.

"The employees. What are your plans for his employees?" I queried, sitting up suddenly.

My mother hesitated. "We haven't really discussed it, but part of the reason his business is going down the drain is because of the employees—they aren't doing very well with marketing their items," she answered slowly.

"Mom, I know you don't want to hear it, but you are not going to make that deal unless he gets reassurance about the welfare of his employees—not in a company that's small. He's also going to want free reign of who is hired or fired. You can probably get him to agree to let someone in your company train them or have a couple of your employees transferred to that department to help them, _but _that will likely result in some issues if anyone happens to feel threatened. His employees could easily turn on yours in that sort of a situation, and they probably wouldn't make things any easier for you. You'd have to tread carefully with them."

It was silent on the line for a long moment before my mother spoke, her tone laced with amusement, "You're right; I hate hearing that. But you're probably right about the employee issue, too. Your father was that way when he was younger, and his business wasn't that small."

I laughed softly because I could easily imagine it. My father was rather picky about whom he was loyal to, so it wasn't a surprise that he would be steadfastly loyal to them when he chose to be. I could easily see that happening with his employees. "Yeah, that sounds like Dad," I agreed.

The obvious pause on her end prepared me for her question. "So, how is your father?" Her tone aimed to be politely indifferent, but sometimes I wondered if she forgot how well I could read her emotions just by hearing her speak; there was an obvious note of curiosity mixed with a little sadness. And—not for the first time—I wondered just what had caused my parents' divorce when it was obvious to me and everyone else that they were both still hopelessly in love with each other.

But—like always—I said nothing of it since I knew it would be futile. I wasn't foolish enough to think things would change, even if I did talk to both my parents about it. "Dad's doing well, I guess. He's been busy lately, trying to eliminate prospects for potential mergers he doesn't want to deal with. And they recently released some item that's been in extremely high demand, so he's been having to help with that. You know how he is—he likes to be in on every little decision, but he still manages to be efficient somehow. I'm not sure I'd do that well..." I murmured with a touch of amusement.

"You'd probably surprise yourself," my mother retorted seriously, and I was slightly stunned. "Now, I'm going to have to go, but before I do, I owe you an apology. I... I was wrong not to tell you about wanting you to come home with me. I handled the situation very poorly, and I guess I was in the mindset of your manager—not your mother. I said many things that I regret, and I'm sorry." She hesitated, and I knew there'd be a "but." "However, two of my conditions still stand—your tour will be extended and you will continue living in that penthouse. There's no need for emails unless you simply want to, and calling once a week will be plenty."

I wanted to argue about the tour, but by this point there had already been announcements and since most of them were in Europe and Asia, I didn't have too many complaints. They were also spread out so I wouldn't miss too much of school, but I still didn't like it. "I'm sorry for how I reacted," I finally admitted. "It was just something I felt really strongly about, and I had kept quiet about it for two months. I know it's not an excuse, but I am a teenager, unfortunately. It happens."

My mother laughed, and I could hear her relief in it. "I'll accept that; I was your age once. Well, I need to go now. I know you start school in a couple days, so call me at our regular time and let me know how things go, all right?"

"I will," I replied, smiling. "Good luck with that company. Email me or whatever."

"Thanks, I'll need it at this rate. I love you, sweetie."

"Love you, too, Mom," I answered. "Bye." I pulled the phone away from my ear and ended the call with a sigh. Falling back onto the couch, I slung my arm over my eyes. I could easily imagine Kyoya's response to the details of my schooling being interrupted by concerts, and I could only hope he'd be willing to barter with me to help keep me caught up with the work, or I'd be screwed. **(5)**

* * *

><p>Kyoya's response to my announcement about my extended tour was nowhere near as bad as I'd hoped (which made me wonder if he'd known already), though Tamaki's input didn't help.<p>

"You have to do what!?" the blonde gasped during a "class change" during school that Monday.

I spared Tamaki a glance. "It was one of my mom's conditions for me to stay in Japan," I explained before looking back at Kyoya. "So I'm probably going to need your help, if you're willing to work with me. It's already been approved by the school board—which I'm sure was done through money—so now I just have to worry about keeping a good grade point average."

Tamaki was sputtering, "B-but why!? Isn't your schooling important!?"

I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. Only Tamaki could give me a headache in such a short amount of time. "She's challenging me; I missed plenty of school my first year," I replied, hoping he'd shut up.

I heard him start to wail, and Kyoya finally snapped, "Tamaki." The tone was enough to shut the blonde up, and I opened my eyes to see Kyoya turning his attention back to me. "I don't think it will be an issue, Tsukiko. I'll let you borrow my notes when you've missed classes, and I'll explain anything you don't understand. You're usually a quick study, so I doubt you'll have too many issues."

I felt heat creep up my neck and into my face at the compliment, and I was proud of myself when my voice remained steady as I replied, "Thank you. I really appreciate it, Kyoya."

Kyoya nodded before turning back to his book that he'd been reading before I interrupted him. I glanced at Tamaki to see him smiling as he studied me. "...what?" I finally asked when his expression didn't change.

"Nothing," Tamaki replied in a tone that definitely belied his response. I sent him a glare, and he grinned as he returned to his seat.

And all I could think was, _'What the hell?' _**(6)**

* * *

><p>Tamaki's odd looks followed me throughout the week, and I'd eventually given up on asking him about them when he gave them to me. Kyoya had been of no help since he was never paying the blonde any mind, and all my other friends had just laughed or teased me over it (or both).<p>

By club period the next Monday, I was over it and had been able to block the looks out, so I was basically ignoring Tamaki in general (though unintentionally). Kyoya quickly brought my attention to it.

"Tamaki thinks you're angry with him. Fix it," the black-haired male ordered as he took a seat across from me at the table.

I blinked up from my homework. "I'm sorry—what?"

Kyoya pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as he replied, "Your ignorance has caused Tamaki to believe you are upset with him, and he's not doing his job properly. You need to fix it." **(7)**

I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at him. "You know, a simple, 'Will you please inform Tamaki you're not angry with him?' would have been sufficient," I grumbled as I stood. Kyoya didn't reply, though I saw his lips curl into a smirk as I walked away to do his bidding.

Tamaki always had a flair for dramatics, so it was very obvious that he was wallowing in self-pity when I approached him. I leaned over the back of the couch and cocked my head at the blonde. "Tamaki, why do you think I'm mad at you?"

Said male blinked at me in surprise before pouting slightly. "I don't know what I did, Tsuki-hime!" he wailed, and I sighed because that wasn't what I had been asking.

"No, Tamaki, I mean what led you to believe I was angry with you?" I queried.

"You've been ignoring me," the blonde murmured pathetically.

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm not mad at you. I just got tired of you giving me those weird looks and refusing to explain them, so I was ignoring those. I wasn't aware I was ignoring you. And besides, you should know by now that if I were angry with you, it would be very obvious," I explained, grinning.

Tamaki blinked before asking hopefully, "You _aren't _mad at me?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. "No, Tamaki, I'm not."

Tamaki's countenance brightened considerably, and I had no doubt that, were there not a couch between us, I would be crushed against his chest in a hug.

"Now get back to your clients, Tamaki. I've wasted enough of your time," I told him before shifting my gaze to the girls seated around the table. "I'm sorry for interrupting, ladies. Hopefully, he'll be more agreeable for you now." I smiled warmly at them all before heading back to the table I'd been sitting at before Kyoya had told me to "fix" things with Tamaki. "There," I announced as I slid into my seat again and resumed working on my homework.

Kyoya let me finish it in peace, and it wasn't until I closed my textbook that he spoke. "Tsukiko, have you heard about the new honor student?"

I furrowed my brows as I looked at him, cocking my head. "Are you talking about Haruhi Fujioka?" I queried, and Kyoya nodded. "Yes, I've heard about Haruhi, obviously. Why do you ask?"

Kyoya pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "I was wondering if you would mind looking into the honor student." **(8)**

"You want me to... investigate the honor student? What for?" I asked, slightly incredulous.

Kyoya quirked a brow. "Do you mean to tell me you are not curious in the least about the honor student? He or she managed to make it into our school by sheer intelligence and had to have been quite audacious to do so."

I frowned slightly as I studied the teen before me. "I suppose so... But that still doesn't explain why you're asking me to do it."

Kyoya paused for a moment before answering, "I have been informed that I do not come off as easily approachable." There was a hint of amusement to his voice, and I felt my face flush since I was quite sure I had told him that. "You, however, do not come off that way, so it would be far easier for you to obtain the information. Plus, you're a celebrity, so just about anyone would be willing to answer your questions."

I studied him (again) for a long moment before nodding. "All right, I'll do it. Is there anything specific you'd like for me to find out?"

Kyoya smirked and shook his head. "Just find out all you can. I'd like a report by Friday, if possible."

"I'll see what I can find out, then. Do you at least know what class Haruhi Fujioka is in?" I asked, resting my chin in my right hand.

Kyoya nodded as he turned to his computer, a signal that he was losing interest in the conversation. "Hikaru and Kaoru told me the honor student was in their class," he answered absently as he started typing on his computer.

"Wait—Haruhi Fujioka is in their class? Then why are you asking _me _to investigate?" I sighed, tapping my fingers (of my left hand) on the table.

Kyoya spared me a glance. "Hikaru and Kaoru would not do it properly, as I'm sure you are aware. They would be more likely to play pranks than to find out any relevant information."

I laughed softly at his description. "Yes, I suppose they would cause more problems. They seem to enjoy doing that."

"That's why they're the mischievous type," Kyoya replied, and I knew then that there was no need to say anything else since he wouldn't be listening. **(9)**

So instead of trying to engage him in conversation, I chose to pull a book out of my bag and start reading.

* * *

><p>"Okay," I announced on Friday as I sat down in front of Kyoya, slightly out of breath since I had just finished my miniature performance for the club. "Haruhi Fujioka is a fourteen-year-old girl, though common rumor is that she is actually a he just because she can't afford a uniform and—for some reason—has a really badly-done haircut. I'm going to assume something happened, and she cut it all off." I paused to catch my breath and also to give Kyoya a second to catch up since he was writing furiously.<p>

"Is that all?" Kyoya asked, looking up from his notebook and frowning.

I snorted. "Hardly. But you looked like you were having slight difficulty keeping up with what I was saying. I was also slightly out of breath." I paused before deciding to simply be honest and added, "And I'm a little offended that you would have so little faith in me, Kyoya. How do you think I found out she was a girl when everyone thinks she's a boy?"

"Tsukiko, you're wasting valuable time. Please continue. I assure you I can keep up," Kyoya retorted, and I had to refrain from acting like a kid and refusing to tell him until he apologized since I knew he wouldn't.

"Her birthday is February 4th, and she's an only child. Her parents' names are Ryouji Fujioka—though he prefers to go by 'Ranka'—and Kotoko Fujioka. I couldn't find out Kotoko's maiden name, but I did find out she died when Haruhi was five years old of some sort of illness, so Haruhi's been raised by her father. Ranka... well, when I met him he was dressed as a woman, so I don't entirely know what he works as, but I assume it has to do with cross-dressing. He was very entertaining and was quite forthcoming about Haruhi when I told him we attended the same school. I think he believed I _knew _her. He gave me his contact information, but I left that at home, so I'll have to email it to you."

Kyoya nodded, murmuring absently, "That's fine. Anything else?"

I smiled slightly and shook my head at how quickly he was writing everything down. "Yeah, there's more. Haruhi has the blood type O—negative or positive I don't know. She's roughly the same height as I am. I think I have a single centimeter on her," I mused before realizing that was totally irrelevant. "Sorry. Uh, her favorite subject is English, and her favorite foods are sushi, ramen, and strawberries. She apparently has brontophobia. When she was in middle school, she apparently had pretty brown hair that went a couple inches past her shoulders. On that note, she has brown eyes. Guys apparently confessed their love to her on an average of once a month, so I assume she has a likable personality..."

During my pause, Kyoya asked, "Do you know the reason she chose our school?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, since that was the one thing I'd forgotten. "I can't believe I forgot—she wants to become a lawyer like her mother was, and this school is one of the most academically rigorous ones nearby, which I assume would look good for her when trying to find a college. Since she's here on scholarship, her studies are really important to her." I thought over all I'd said before nodding to myself. "And I think that's it. Or, at least that's all I thought you'd need to know. If it's really a necessity, you can contact Ranka, though I'm not entirely sure he'll be too forthcoming unless you know Haruhi. It'd be pushing it now since Haruhi probably told him she'd never met me."

Kyoya closed his notebook after he finished writing, and then he smiled warmly at me. "Thank you very much; you gathered more information than I had expected."

Embarrassingly enough, I felt my breath catch in my throat at the warm smile on his face, and I felt blood rush to my own face as I nodded dumbly to acknowledge his thanks. "Um, you're... you're welcome," I managed to stammer.

His smile transformed into a smirk, and I had to refrain from squeaking in mortification. Instead, I set about to gathering my stuff. Thankfully, Kyoya didn't comment, but I saw the knowing look on his face whenever I happened to glance at him. He _did_ make things awkward by watching me, and as a result, my face and ears were burning hotly. I finally shot him a glare when I couldn't stand it any longer. "Could you _not_ do that?" I muttered.

Kyoya chuckled lightly, and I could've hit him for it. "Do what?" he inquired with a wealth of amusement.

"You're watching me; it's weird," I answered, unamused. "I would kindly appreciate it if you'd stop."

Kyoya opened his mouth to respond with what I'm sure would have been an infuriating remark or question, but I was saved. **(10)**

"Oi, Sook, let's go! We're going to be late!"

I looked up and felt instant relief as my eyes landed on Hiroshi. We had made plans to go and see a movie after clubs were over, and though the movie didn't start until a little later, we had decided to go eat beforehand. "I'm coming!" I called back to him as I slung my bag onto my shoulder. "I'll see you Monday, Kyoya," I farewelled absently, sparing him one last glance as I walked away.

What I saw almost had me turning back around because, although I'd only caught a glimpse of it (and his expression had only shifted slightly), it still wasn't a look I'd seen on his face before.

He'd looked... disappointed.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) <strong>So I realized that Tsuki's mom seemed totally unlikable after I wrote this part, but... unfortunately, that's just how her mother is at this moment. I can't explain it to you just yet, but you'll find out in chapter twelve why she's so unhappy about the situation. Part of it is that she misses her daughter, but there's a bigger part that no one seems to be inclined to fill her in on, and they all have their own reasons. ;) But if you haven't guessed, Sook's mother is basically my antagonist in this story. You'll see what I mean later~

**(2) **This will seem kind of random to you guys since it doesn't happen in this chapter; they don't get the opportunity to talk, so they'll have that talk in the next chapter. Just wanted to let you know that I didn't forget about it.

**(3) **This was my favorite part of the whole chapter. I've wanted to write this scene since I started this damn story, and I finally got to do it. If that doesn't count as some slight TsuKyo, then I don't know what you're reading. I mean, can you guys just imagine how freaking happy that would have made him? Obviously, he's a prat and doesn't show it and has to act like it doesn't affect him, but she practically tackled the poor guy without warning. There is no telling how much he'll replay that scene. And then he gets to be a smug little bastard and have his ego boosted because Sook's like a walking, "I LIKE YOU, KYOYA" sign right then. xD

**(4) **Once again, Kyoya's totally elated by her calling him by his first name. I imagine he may have a similar reaction to Sook's reaction to him calling her by her first name. Even if he doesn't, he's still happy about it, but he doesn't want her to see it since there's always the off chance that he's wrong about her liking him. That, and he wants to insure Takashi doesn't mind (which will be explained later).

**(5) **I included this phone call for a couple of reasons. One: to show that Tsuki understands business, in a general sense. Two: to show her mother is not a heartless crone. Lol. I don't really know why her mother's the way she is, but she does love her daughter; you guys might not sense/see that through this very much, though. Her mother's rather... complicated. ^^;

**(6) **In essence, this is when Tamaki fully notices Tsuki likes Kyoya. (He's always been a bit slow on the uptake in the show, so I figured he'd be the last one to make the connection.) He's happy about it because everyone but Sook knows Kyoya likes her, and so he's just excited his friend's feelings are returned.

**(7) **Kyoya's kind of testing Tsuki in this scene; he's still not certain she likes him, but he's still trying to test how she reacts to what he says. Unfortunately, this isn't exactly the best way for him to test her since she'd have done what he ordered anyway, but her little jab at him was enough for him to know that things were still the same (which is just the way he wants them to be since that's part of what makes him like her).

**(8) **FINALLY. This is something else I've been wanting to do since the beginning. Since Sook's not going to be able to be there all the time when the episodes start, I really wanted there to be some sort of position for her in their "club." Kyoya's got a book of information on their clients, so I thought Tsuki could be the one who obtains the information for him. I'd think the clients would be more inclined to tell her things than they would be to tell any of the hosts. [/shrug] I hope you guys don't mind.

**(9) **This is totally a lie. Kyoya's always going to listen to what Tsuki says; he's intrigued by her, and ergo, he listens. She doesn't know that, though, so she's based her reactions off how she's seen him treat some of the others. She'll find out all this at some point, but I can't be sure when. I haven't planned that little detail out just yet (which would sound ridiculous if you knew all the other details I had already planned out).

**(10) ** If you're curious as to what Kyoya would have said, I was tossing around the idea of him saying, "Am I making you nervous?" But then that would have likely led into her shouting a "yes, you are!" at him and then a discussion would have followed that would have accelerated my plot too quickly. So, yeah. Hiroshi interrupting was a nice excuse for me.

And that's it for this installment! Again, I know the ending is a little weird, but I kind of need her to at least somewhat catch onto the fact that, you know, Kyoya's totally falling in love with her. Well, maybe "love" is a bit too strong for right now, but she needs to realize he likes her on some level of her mind so that she'll calm down and be okay with telling him how she feels. Plus, I didn't have anywhere for this to go, and I don't want to mesh it with the next chapter.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! This chapter's title is "Fallin' for You" by Colbie Caillat. I honestly think it's rather self-explanatory if you go and listen to it or read the lyrics. ;) So I'm not going to explain it, but this one would be from Tsuki's view, though I guess it could also apply to Kyoya, too. It's up to you how you'd like to interpret it, I s'pose~

Anywho! That's it for now. I hope to have the next chapter out within the next couple of weeks, but don't quote me on that. As always, I'd love to have feedback from you guys; let me know what you do and don't like. Or just leave a "cool story" or what-have-you, whichever suits you, lol.

Thanks for reading!

**~ DM ;)**


	11. Hero Heroine

_Disclaimer: If you've read the manga, you know which characters are not mine. Therefore, I don't really own all that much..._

Woohoo! I'm updating, guys! And it's only been a couple weeks, right? Or close to it, at least. [/totally tried to get it out earlier] I was on vacation this past week, and I was helping my friend out with her KaoruxOC story since Sook's made an entrance and she wanted to make sure she got her personality correct. :) But I finally got this thing done. It's about 22/23 pages long (I think) so I hope you guys enjoy it! We _finally_ have TsuKyo, though! It's official! (Er, sort of. I don't know if it ever gets decreed as completely official in this story since Kyoya's an ass.) But anywho! I don't have all that much to say this time around since I'm sure you guys wanna get to the actual story. (Btw, I said Fuyumi and Tsuki's chat in the last thing would happen in this chapter. I still didn't get the chance to fit it in, so it _should_ be in the next one. [/is a horrible person]) One last note before I move onto review responses: this chapter is set in the last week of October. So the beginning is on October 24, and the last section is October 31 (so basically Halloween). I dunno if I addressed it, but since I think I did not, I thought I'd tell you. o;

**TartPixie**, I've already answered you, but in case some others had the same questions, I thought I'd give a brief answer here. First, welcome to my story! I hope TsuKyo can continue to be a coupling you can believe and like~ It makes me really happy to know I could make Kyoya fall for someone without completely killing his character. (His character might seem a little iffy in this chapter, but I don't want to make him totally _immune_ to her charms or anything 'cause that would be boring.) "Mr. Fantastic" should have been brought down a peg (or at least a half of one) but let me know if you don't think so. Though I've told you this before, Tsuki is not in an arranged marriage with Kyoya. Yet. If ever, actually. Her father and his father would probably love it, but Tsuki and Kyoya would probably purposely cause issues if things seemed to be picture-perfect with their parents' plans. Lol. You'll see Akito in this chapter, and you'll understand my reticence to make him and Sook possibly be in such a situation. (It wouldn't end well, in short.) And the OC guy at the beginning of this story will play more of a role in the sequel to this, though it won't be actively.

**Wonderwomanbatmanfan,** holy cow, what a name. I had to double and then triple check it to make sure I didn't mess it up (and even then I still might have). [/winces] Apologies beforehand! I'm glad you think it's getting good. xD Hopefully this chapter will make you smile, at least. I tried to incorporate some stuff, so... yeah. We'll see how this goes, no? Thank you for your lovely review, and welcome to the weird place inside my mind!

**slashingfruit101, **your name makes me think of the game Fruit Ninja. [/is shot] Hullo! I love love love love the fact that you took time to review my story~ I've finally updated! It's taken a while, but there's been quite a lot going on with school and character appearances in another person's story. I hope this chapter does not disappoint you, m'dear! ;)

**Echo**, my lonely guest reviewer, thank you for taking the time to leave a review! I really appreciate it much more than you could ever know. ;D I'm glad you like it! I tried to make the relationship between Tsuki and Kyoya more realistic, and I'm dying to get to the next chapter since it's going to be a fun one. (Hint: it's in November.) I love Kyoya, too; he's definitely my favorite character~

**Brix8, **well, howdy! O; Yes! She realized! I was so excited, too, and I even knew it was coming! xD [/totally doesn't act her own age] Haha; you thought the tackling thing was adorable? I wasn't sure if people would like it, but it was something just totally... Tsuki. I'm not sure if there's anything "adorable" in this chapter, but there is some legit TsuKyo~ :D [/is shot]

Well, as always, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I greatly appreciate all of it! Now, onward to the story~

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><p><em><strong>chapter xi<strong>_

I sighed heavily, leaning back against the wall beside the door to classroom 2A. I let my head fall back against it lightly and closed my eyes, bringing a hand up to cover my yawn. I had just arrived home again after missing an entire two weeks of school, and I was absolutely exhausted. Unfortunately, I didn't really have the luxury of sleeping since I really needed to attend school when I was home. Currently, I was waiting for the "class change" so that I didn't interrupt the teacher near the end of her lesson, and everything in me was telling me to just give up and go home and sleep since I hadn't really slept more than an hour in the past three days. I had hoped to get some sleep on the plane ride home, but I had been seated near some kids who knew who I was, and sleep had not really been an option with them.

I had nearly fallen asleep while standing when I heard the school bell chime. I startled out of my near-sleep stage and turned to open the door. Of course, the moment the students all heard the door open, they turned to look at me, and I offered them all a slight smile before apologizing to the teacher for being late. The woman took a good look at me and told me I needed to get more sleep, but she didn't get onto me for missing her class, which I thought was a little odd, but I shrugged it off and headed to my usual seat.

"Tsuki-hime, you're back!" Tamaki exclaimed, barely allowing me to set my stuff down before he crushed me into a hug.

I didn't even have the strength to attempt to fight him off, so I simply hugged him back before answering, "Yeah, I got in this morning. That's why I'm late."

Tamaki must have noticed something was off because he released me without having to be told, and he looked at me with concern clouding his features. "You got in this morning?" he repeated. "Then why are you here?"

I sighed and resisted the urge to rub at my eyes. "I can't afford to miss any more classes than I already do, so I decided I'd come in today since I've missed two weeks' worth of classes already," I explained as I slid into my seat. I chanced a glance at Kyoya to see him studying me, and I shook my head at him. "Don't, Kyoya. I've dealt with worse, and I stopped and ate something before I came here. Now, what did I miss this morning?"

Kyoya's jaw ticced, and I assumed he'd barely stopped himself from snapping at me. "We were reviewing for the test tomorrow. Can I assume you read the book, or will we need to hold a review session this afternoon?"

I frowned slightly, hating myself for the slight jab of hurt I felt over a remark I knew wasn't meant to be caustic. "Kyoya, you don't have to keep doing this. I can find someone else to help keep me caught up," I murmured, avoiding looking at him.

"You know that is unnecessary," Kyoya retorted. "Now, will you answer my question? Would you like a review session this afternoon?"

I blinked in slight surprise at the sudden change of tone, as well as the sudden wording change. I shifted my gaze onto him, my brows furrowed slightly, but his face was its typical mask, and I knew I wouldn't be able to figure it out. "I would like one, yes, if it's not too much trouble."

"Will you stop worrying about that?" Tamaki suddenly interjected, his tone a little exasperated though he smiled to show he wasn't irritated. "You say that every time. Kyoya wouldn't offer them if it would cause any problems for him. So do us all a favor and quit worrying about it. You're still managing to take most of the weight of the work, so it doesn't bother either of us to provide you with notes or homework assignments, and if you're worried about not knowing all the information you should, it's not an issue to ask to be quizzed on it."

"I told you the very first day that I was willing to help you as long as you were willing to do your assignments and keep up with the reading. You've held up your end of the bargain, so I have no problems with keeping up mine," Kyoya added. "Tamaki's right; you need to stop worrying so much about relying on us. We're already taking the notes, and it's not hurting us to get an extra sheet of paper or text you the problems of an assignment."

I felt my face flush slightly, and I nodded to show I understood. "All right," I replied. "I'm sorry; I'll try to stop."

Kyoya shook his head, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile, and Tamaki shook his head with a grin. "I guess that's all we can ask for," the blonde sighed as he slid back into his seat.

* * *

><p>"The next one is, 'O, there has been much throwing about of brains.' Who said it to whom?" Kyoya asked.<p>

I stifled a yawn and had to blink a few times to keep from falling asleep. For some reason, Kyoya had decided to conduct our review session on one of the couches in the back part of the room, and it wasn't helping to keep me concentrated. "Guildenstern said it to Hamlet, right?" I answered.

"That's correct," Kyoya replied, putting a check mark beside it. "This one's a bit tricky. 'The croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.' Who said it and during which act and scene?"

Try as I might, I honestly could not remember that quote at all, so I simply guessed, "Was it Hamlet?"

Kyoya nodded. "Yes, it was Hamlet. What about the other?"

I shook my head. "I seriously have no idea. I had to guess about Hamlet."

Kyoya chuckled, holding out his copy of _Hamlet_. "Try to find it before I tell you where it is."

I frowned slightly as I took the book from him. There was no way I'd find it, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt to humor him. I tried to think of what instance could possibly have involved that. I briefly flipped through the first act, searching for Hamlet's name when he was talking to the ghost of his father, but I never found anything close to what Kyoya had said. I then flipped to act three, scene four where Hamlet killed Polonius, but I didn't find it there, either. "Kyoya, I honestly have no clue where he would have said it. I only had two ideas if it was Hamlet, and they were both wrong."

Kyoya took the book back from me and flipped to scene two of the third act. I frowned and leaned over, resting my head against his shoulder as he searched for whatever it was he was looking for. His actions paused shortly when I didn't move away, but I was too tired to pick it back up. **(1)** He didn't comment and instead turned a couple more pages before pointing at the line he'd quoted to me. "He says it during the play the Players are putting on. He was speaking to Ophelia to begin with, but he directed that to the Players in order to get them to continue."

"That makes sense, I guess. It's kind of like he wants them to continue so he can get back at his uncle and his mother by showing them he knows what they did to his father. It's part of his revenge on them," I murmured.

I felt Kyoya nod slightly before he proceeded to the next quote. "Who said, 'Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!' and during which act and scene?"

"Horatio," I answered immediately, smiling slightly as I closed my eyes. "He was my favorite character. And he says it in act five, scene two after Hamlet dies."

"That's correct," Kyoya answered softly, and if he said anything else after that, I didn't hear it.

* * *

><p>The next thing I knew, I was being lightly shaken. I stirred enough to swat at whoever was shaking me before curling up more, determined to go back to sleep. I heard slight laughter before my name was spoken. "Sook, c'mon. Wake up. It's time to go home. You can't sleep here." I made a noise of protest, refusing to move. "Why don't you try to wake her?" the same male's voice asked, somewhat muffled since it wasn't directed at me.<p>

I heard some shuffling of feet and then a different voice was speaking. "Tsukiko, I know you're awake. Your breathing pattern has changed. Club time is past over, and we have to leave now. Are you going to get up, or is one of us going to have to carry you?"

I made another noise in protest, pulling the blanket (that someone had apparently covered me with) up and over my head. "'m sleepy..." I muttered.

I honestly didn't think someone would actually do it, but I was suddenly scooped up from the couch and cradled against someone's chest, blanket and all. Normally, I would have protested, but I was honestly just _that _tired, and as such I simply just snuggled into the person who was carrying me. The arms supporting me tightened their hold around me, securing me more firmly into place. The next few minutes were rather hazy for me as I drifted on the edges of sleep since I was in a nearly constant state of semi-awareness. I could hear soft, masculine voices as well as the sounds of footsteps echoing down the hallways, and the person carrying me made an obvious effort not to jostle me as he walked.

I roused myself slightly when I heard my name being called and managed to poke my head out from beneath the blanket to glance at the group and wave in response before resuming my original position (though this time without the blanket over my head). A nice scent tickled my nose as my cheek rested against the material of the school's blazer, but my sleep-addled brain couldn't really make the connection of whose scent it was.

"What would you like me to do with her?" The voice was male (which wasn't a surprise), and I felt the vibrations of the chest I was cradled against, which led me to believe the person holding me had spoken.

"I'm not sure. If I didn't know she'd get angry, I'd just say one of us should take her to her place. And even if she didn't get mad, seeing a boy carry a girl into a hotel would likely get a call to the police," another male answered, and it carried a trace of amusement. I was almost positive it was Hiroshi. "Her father and Nobuyuki are not in town right now, so I don't think she'd feel too comfortable sleeping there. Which leaves my place, possibly your place, or maybe even Honey's or Mori's if needed."

The person holding me made a humming sound, and he adjusted his hold on me. "I don't think we should bother Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. It wouldn't be a problem to have her stay with me, but I believe she'd feel more comfortable staying with you." My mind finally caught onto the timbre of his voice, and I forced my eyes open momentarily to confirm that it was Kyoya who was holding me before I let my eyes slip closed again. On any normal given day, I probably would have been protesting and demanding to be put down, but I had to admit I kind of liked being held by him. It was oddly comforting, and he was really warm.

Hiroshi chuckled. "I don't know about that. Sook's pretty open to sleeping wherever as long as she feels like she's wanted there. I heard about the last time she stayed over—her main issue with it was that she didn't think you wanted her to be there and that you were simply asking to be hospitable." He paused before adding, "In fact, I think she should stay with you. Maybe you can get her to sleep."

"I don't believe sleeping will be an issue," Kyoya retorted. "She's slightly awake right now, though only barely enough to hear what we're saying, but she'll probably fall back to sleep easily."

I heard Hiroshi snort. "Don't kid yourself. She's been living off of barely any sleep the past nine years, and never has she slept throughout the entire night. When she crashes, it's usually during the daytime, and she really needs some sleep tonight. She's never slept the entire night with me, so I hardly expect her to do that tonight."

"If it's been a problem for that long, I don't see how it could be different with me," Kyoya replied.

Hiroshi sighed, and I imagined he was probably shaking his head and crossing his arms. "Just humor me, would you? Unless you just don't want her to stay with you, in which case I'll take her home with me."

It was quiet, and I fought to try and stay awake so I could hear Kyoya's response. It was only when I was slipping back to sleep that I heard him murmur, "I'll take her with me." **(2)**

* * *

><p>The next time I was woken up, I felt marginally better and didn't feel like immediately passing out again. I blinked groggily at Kyoya and rubbed at my eyes as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. "What time is it?" I asked, my voice sleep-coated to even my ears.<p>

"It's almost ten," he answered, studying me. "Do you know where you are?"

I furrowed my brows as I looked at him. "I assumed I was at your house," I answered, looking around me and having my assumption confirmed since I was in the wing of the house Kyoya stayed in.

"So you were awake enough to remember that," Kyoya murmured, more-so to himself than to me, so I didn't feel the need to comment. "I woke you so that you could change into something more comfortable, and so that you could eat."

"That sounds fantastic. I'm starving," I admitted, placing a hand on my quietly-growling stomach. "And I wouldn't mind changing out of this dress since it'll probably need to be cleaned for tomorrow."

Kyoya chuckled, crossing his arms. "Would you prefer to eat first?"

I debated over it for a moment before shaking my head. "No, I think it'd be better for me to go ahead and change. I don't want to keep anyone awake too late just to clean my uniform."

"All right; follow me, then," the black-haired teen stated before he started walking off in the direction of the bedrooms in his wing. I scrambled up to my feet before falling in step slightly behind him. I was slightly surprised when he led me into his bedroom, and I stopped kind of awkwardly in the doorway to his room as he opened a drawer and rifled through it. He pulled out one cream-colored article and one black article of clothing before shutting the drawer and walking back to me. "You can change in my bathroom. I'll wait for you in the hallway."

I was too startled to do anything but accept the clothes, and I moved to the side so that he could exit. I walked into the bathroom and placed the clothes on the counter, leaving the door partially cracked. I didn't really examine what he'd handed me until after I'd pulled on the cream-colored top. I was slightly surprised to find out that it was a plain sweatshirt (much like the one I'd been given the last time I'd stayed here without a change of clothes), but the material was extremely soft and it was obvious it was well-made. I had to slightly bunch the sleeves up so that my hands weren't swallowed by them, but the rest of the hoodie was actually slightly well-fit, even though it was a little long. I picked up what appeared to be a pair of black pajama pants, and I had to roll the bottoms up after I put them on so that I wouldn't trip over them, which wasn't too surprising considering Kyoya was a lot taller than I was. Overall, the clothing didn't look too bad, but it was extremely obvious it wasn't mine.

I picked up all the articles of my uniform, holding them with one arm, and exited the bathroom. When I walked out into the hallway, Kyoya looked up from where he seemed to be texting on his phone. His gaze drifted over my form, and I resisted the urge to shift awkwardly on my feet. Suddenly, his gaze shifted up to meet my eyes, and I thought I saw his cheeks pinken. "I forgot to give you socks," he stated, spurring into action and moving around me to head back into his room. **(3)**

I opened my mouth to tell him that a pair of socks wouldn't be necessary, but he had already gotten to his dresser and was opening a drawer, and it would have been pointless. So instead I kept quiet and waited for him to return with a pair of black socks. He held them out to me, and I took them with a murmured, "Thank you, Kyoya."

Kyoya nodded in reply and motioned blindly to the clothes I was holding. "I can carry those for you."

I had half a mind to tell him that he wasn't going to be able to carry anything when he seemed to be avoiding looking in my general direction, but I bit back that remark since I didn't really want to piss him off. So instead I held them out to him and explained, "If you'd just hold them while I put on the socks, I don't mind carrying them after that."

Kyoya took the clothing carefully (though I wasn't entirely sure why since it wouldn't hurt it to be wrinkled) and waited patiently as I slipped on the socks. Once he noticed I was finished, he started walking down the hallway. I smiled to myself and shook my head but easily followed after him.

When we were nearing the kitchen, I decided to break the somewhat awkward silence around us. "You know, I know my way around here; you don't have to worry about escorting me everywhere," I teased lightly.

Kyoya chuckled, glancing past his shoulder at me (finally). "I have no doubt you know how to get to at least the kitchen. However, I would not be a proper host if I did not insure your comfort," he replied easily, his tone tinged with just a little amusement.

I laughed and shook my head. "Sometimes I wonder which 'host' you mean when you say that."

Kyoya lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Either one, I suppose. Neither host would allow a guest to be uncomfortable."

I didn't really have a response to that, but it didn't matter since Kyoya found a maid just a little ways from the kitchen. I didn't wait for him as I slipped into the kitchen, and I had almost made it to the pantry when I heard a male's voice ask, "Who are you?"

I managed to bite back a scream so that it only came out as a squeak, and I whirled around to see there was a man in his mid- to late-twenties seated at the counter, his fork positioned as though he had been in mid-bite before he'd seen me. His hair was dark brown, and his eyes were gray. His face was slim, but even when confused, he seemed to have a rather cocky air about him.

And he'd asked me a question. Right. "My name's Tsukiko. I'm... I'm a friend of Kyoya's," I managed to answer with only a touch of nervousness. "Who are you?"

"Akito," he answered, as though that should have been enough for me. "Where's Kyoya?"

Said male thankfully walked in at that exact moment. "Akito?" The black-haired boy sounded surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

Akito never looked away from me as he replied, "Yuuichi and I were both asked to come here this evening by father; it's business. Yuuichi went home, but I'm staying. This girl said she was your friend."

"I _am _his friend," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

At the same time, Kyoya replied, "She _is_ my friend."

Akito's brows shot up, and his lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, that was cute," he teased, rather unkindly. **(4)**

"Tsukiko, why don't you find something to eat?" Kyoya suggested in a tone that I knew was really an order. Since Akito was (I assumed) Kyoya's older brother, I didn't want to interfere with the matter and possibly get Kyoya into trouble, so I turned around and walked into the pantry, flipping on the light.

I could hear quiet voices as I looked, and I could also feel eyes on me for the majority of the time. I didn't like it at all, and I was definitely going to say something to Kyoya about it. It took me a few minutes, but I finally found Fuyumi's secret stash of chicken-flavored ramen noodles and pulled out two bags of it. By then, Kyoya and Akito had finished their discussion, but I could feel Akito's eyes on me when I emerged from the pantry.

"Ah, so she found Fuyumi's ramen," Akito announced when he saw what I was holding, but I ignored him as I fished around in the cabinets for one of the microwavable bowls. I was too hungry to deal with boiling the water in a pot, so when I found the bowl I was looking for, I broke up the dry ramen noodles while they were still in the package before opening both packages and pouring them into the bowl, setting the chicken flavoring packets to the side. I then added water and sealed the bowl with the lid before placing it in the microwave and setting it to cook for three minutes.

The entire time I felt eyes on me, and it was starting to get unnerving. When I turned around to see Akito was still watching me (the rest of his food untouched), I finally cracked. "Ootori-san, I find it extremely unsettling when people watch me, and you have yet to finish your dinner. Perhaps you should focus more on eating?" I suggested politely with only a touch of irritation.

Akito chuckled, his gaze never wavering. "Please, call me Akito-san. 'Ootori-san' is how people address my brother Yuuichi. And I apologize if my staring unsettles you. You just look rather adorable in my younger brother's clothes." I took note that his gaze did not move from my face like it should have, which meant he was lying. His lips twitched into a rather malicious smile. "And you say you are friends with my brother? I must say I find that rather difficult to believe."

I went rigid at what I believed he was implying, and I was fairly certain I saw red.

"Akito," Kyoya hissed. "Tsukiko is a _guest_."

"Of course," Akito replied, waving a hand. "My apologies, _Miss Tsukiko_." His eyes glinted slightly as he asked, "And what was your last name again?"

"I didn't give it," I snapped. "But before I do tell you, I want to say that you'll probably wish you hadn't been such a pompous asshole. My last name is Nakamura. As in Nakamura Industries. You know, one of the possible business partners the Ootori Group is trying to gain? My father's name is Shirou, and he's actually quite close friends with yours."

I saw the moment that Akito registered the name and the significance, and I felt a sick sort of satisfaction as his face paled. It was at that moment that the microwave beeped. I turned around and pulled out the bowl, grabbed up the two packets of flavoring, and swiped some chopsticks from the nearby drawer. Flashing Akito a fake smile, I stated, "Well, it was just a _pleasure_ to meet you, Akito. Have a good evening." I didn't even wait for a response before I turned on my heel and stalked out of the kitchen.

I made it back to the wing of the house Kyoya stayed in in record time, and I barely refrained from slamming the bowl onto the table as I seated myself on the floor. I ripped open the chicken flavoring packets and poured them onto the noodles before angrily stirring them so that the flavoring was mixed in properly. I was so intent on trying to keep from doing something stupid that I would regret that I didn't notice Kyoya had arrived until I heard him chuckling. I blinked up from my position on the floor to see him leaning against the nearby wall with a hand covering his eyes, and my eyes widened as his chuckles developed into laughter. My breath caught in my throat slightly at the sound, and I watched him incredulously because really, no one should be allowed to have such a cute laugh—and it was just so odd and... refreshing to hear. And it was coming from _Kyoya_. **(5)**

It didn't last very long—at most about ten seconds—and then he was back to normal, though his lips were curved into a very cute smile that made my heart beat faster. His gaze landed on me, and he quirked a brow. "What?"

I must have still looked dumbfounded from when he was laughing, so I told him the truth, "I've never heard you laugh. It was..." I cleared my throat and tried not to blush as I continued, "It was cute. And highly unexpected given what just occurred in the kitchen."

Kyoya tilted his head up so that his glasses caused a glare, and I tried to refrain from frowning at the fact that he felt the need to hide his expression from me. When he finally answered, he lowered his head again, his expression schooled. "Akito and Yuuichi have always thought they were better than everyone else. Yuuichi will at least attempt to hide it, but Akito typically does not unless he knows the person he is speaking to is one of the Ootori Group's clients." Though his voice was mostly neutral, there was an odd sadness in his tone. "As you just witnessed, it does happen to get Akito into troublesome situations. However, no one has ever done what you just did." Kyoya's voice took on a fond amusement as he crossed his arms. "I cannot express how satisfying it was to see you calling Akito a 'pompous asshole' and see his reaction to it all. It was amusing," the black-haired boy explained, his lips twitching slightly as he fought back a smile.

I frowned slightly at his explanation of his two older brothers. He'd never really spoken about them to me before now, so I had known there had to be some sort of issue between them, but I had never been able to guess the nature of it. Now that I had a slight inkling, however, I wished I didn't. He'd spoken as though he'd had first-hand experience of his brothers' dickheadery, and I had no doubt that it had to hurt. The only family member I had ever seen treat him with any sense of respect was his sister, and though I knew that was better than nothing, it was obvious he wanted to be seen as someone worthy of praise by more than just his older sister. And that really made my heart ache for him.

But there was no reason for me to address any of that since I knew it would only make Kyoya irritated. So instead, I chose to comment simply with, "Well, I'm glad that was amusing for you. If possible, though, I'd like to have a warning that he's here whenever I come over. I can't promise I won't snap at him again if I run into him unexpectedly..."

Kyoya smirked with a nod. "I will do my best to let you know, but sometimes I don't even know when he and Yuuichi are expected."

I took a page out of his book and smirked. "Yeah, I noticed," I teased, and then I promptly proceeded to scoop up some of my ramen and start eating. I glanced at Kyoya to see him shaking his head with a slight smile on his lips, but he didn't reply. He did, however, move to sit on the couch across from me, and I tried my best not to feel self-conscious about eating while he watched me. In the midst of scooping up some of the ramen, I murmured, "Did you know that peanuts can be used to make dynamite because of the oil they secrete?" **(6)**

Kyoya looked slightly confused by the statement before he smirked. "I was not aware of that," he answered, his voice laced with amusement. I half expected him to shoot back a random fact, but he didn't.

I tried to eat more quickly without looking odd, but it just didn't work. After another long moment, I spoke again. "You also can't swallow without your tongue touching the roof of your mouth."

"Huh," Kyoya intoned, and there was no doubt that he was highly amused by what was occurring. I wanted to throw something at him. He knew I hated being watched.

I was nearly finished with my ramen when I couldn't stand it anymore and stated, "A lemon has more sugar than a strawberry."

Kyoya chuckled, and I felt my face heat up. "Is that your nervous tic? Spouting random trivia?" he queried, his lips quirked in a smirk.

I didn't respond and promptly finished off the last of my ramen. I pushed myself up into a standing position, grabbing my empty bowl as I did, and then turned to return down the hallway to the kitchen. I didn't make it very far before I was stopped by a hand grabbing my arm. I was slightly startled, and I blinked up at Kyoya in surprise. His brows were furrowed slightly, and he was staring in the direction of his hand for a couple of seconds before he abruptly let go of my arm.

"Akito is probably still in the kitchen. You can leave the bowl here, and someone will pick it up," Kyoya stated, and I could only nod in response. He was acting rather strange, and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. The next thing I knew, the bowl I was holding was being taken out of my hands, and Kyoya had walked back to the table and set the bowl on it. "Are you still tired?" he asked suddenly.

I frowned and shrugged a little. "I'm kind of tired, but I don't know if I'll be able to go back to sleep."

Kyoya didn't say anything for a long moment before asking, "Did you need any help with any of the other class assignments? You seem to know enough about _Hamlet_ for the test."

I bit down on my lower lip as I thought about it before I finally asked, "Could you help me with what we just learned in Physics? I'm having trouble understanding the concepts."

Kyoya nodded, and he finally looked at me again. "Of course. Follow me."

* * *

><p>That was how, nearly half an hour later, I was sitting quite closely beside Kyoya.<p>

...on his bed.

I'm not entirely sure how it happened, actually, or why, though I think part of it had to do with Kyoya trying to make me feel like going back to sleep. All it managed to do was make me feel a little awkward, though, so his plan didn't seem to be thought through very well. I didn't have that many complaints about it, but it was a little difficult to concentrate on Physics concepts when he was sitting so close to me with his scent tickling my nose. And I couldn't help but think that, if I was in this situation with anyone else, we probably wouldn't be studying Physics.

"Tsukiko, it would be helpful if you were listening," Kyoya stated with a slight note of irritation.

I smiled sheepishly and fiddled with the too-long sleeves of the hoodie I was wearing. "Sorry, Kyoya. I'm just more easily distracted the later it gets," I murmured, glancing up at him. It was the truth—I did get distracted a lot more easily the longer I stayed awake, and I could still feel the effects of sleep deprivation, but I wouldn't have been anywhere near as distracted had we been seated across from each other at a table like we usually were during these sorts of sessions.

Kyoya sighed, though it sounded less irritated and more amused. "Yes, I noticed that during your German tutoring sessions last semester. You never did tell me what your grade ended up being."

I couldn't keep myself from laughing. "I figured that would have been obvious, given my placement on the list in our class," I teased, considering I'd scored second in our class (and our grade, actually) by a couple points' difference for Kyoya's first place score. "I made a high 'A' in that class."

"I can't say I'm surprised. You were rather adept at learning the language," Kyoya answered.

I grinned and shook my head. "No, actually, I wasn't."

Kyoya studied me for a moment. "I don't follow," he admitted.

I sighed slightly, leaning back against the headboard. "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out along the way. Not many people can learn a foreign language that quickly and easily; nor can they keep up with a class when they are supposedly that far behind already." I paused, letting my words sink in before stating bluntly, "I've been speaking and writing German fluently for the past two years, Kyoya."

The black-haired boy didn't respond for a long moment, and then I heard him chuckling. "Well, I must say I underestimated you, Tsukiko. I should have noticed at some point, but I did not think you would come up with an excuse like that in order to find out what you wanted about the Ootori Group."

I bristled slightly since I wasn't entirely sure how to take his statement. "I didn't think you would put up with it for the entire semester. I honestly thought you'd figured it out and were just humoring me halfway through. And I'm not ready to believe that you didn't use it for your own purposes with Nakamura Industries."

Kyoya glanced at me to ascertain my reaction. "I did not mean to offend you, Tsukiko. It was actually meant to be a compliment."

"Will you stop calling me that?" I snapped before I could stop myself. "I can't stand it."

Kyoya's expression was a mixture of hurt and confusion before he controlled it, and he closed the Physics book in his lap, picking it up as he slid off his bed. "Of course," he replied, his tone striving to be even. "I believe it's obvious we should call this session to a close."

I furrowed my brows, frowning slightly. "Kyoya, w—"

"Nakamura-san, you may not be tired, but I currently am," Kyoya interrupted, and I was slightly shocked. "So unless you plan on sleeping in here, I will lead you to the guest room we have prepared for you."

"But Kyoya—"

"Where—"

"Damn it, Kyoya Ootori, do _not_ cut me off!" I exclaimed, slamming my fist against the headboard (though not enough to break it or something akin to that). Kyoya looked startled, but he quickly schooled his expression, his jaw tightening. "You really irritate me sometimes, you know. You get mad when others jump to conclusions, but you jump to your own conclusions, too. I've dealt with you calling me 'Tsukiko' for nearly three months now, and I've said before that I hate being called by my full name. That's why everyone calls me some shortened version of my name. I don't care if you call me Tsuki or Kiko or whatever, but I swear if you keep calling me 'Tsukiko,' I'm not going to answer you."

His eyes widened slightly, and when he spoke, he sounded confused. "You are angry because I address you by your full name?"

I sighed and slumped back against his headboard. "That's what I just said, isn't it?"

"Why do you dislike it?"

I frowned and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess because I got used to everyone calling me by some sort of nickname. All my friends do that, and so do most of my family members. The only people who don't do that are people who don't really know me, or people that I don't like enough to give permission to call me by a shorter name. So I've come to associate 'Tsukiko' with people whom I want to keep distanced from me." I realized belatedly that my last sentence might make things awkward, but I'd said it, and if I tried to amend it, things would just get worse.

"All right," Kyoya answered. "What would you like me to call you?"

I smiled slightly, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "It really doesn't matter, so long as it's some sort of derivative of my name." I quickly thought through the list of names people called me and abruptly added, "But _not_ 'Tsuki-hime.' It's bad enough that the rest of the hosts call me that. Even Mitsukuni's starting to do it. I didn't think Tamaki's nickname would stick."

Kyoya chuckled, crossing his arms. "Then I suppose I will simply call you 'Tsuki,' if that's all right."

"That's what most of the school calls me," I replied. "So that's fine." We were quiet for a long moment before I finally murmured, "Kyoya?"

"Hm?"

I did my best to fight back a blush as I looked over at him. "I'm not exactly ready to be left alone. These past two weeks were... difficult in regards to my mother. I apparently told her something she did not wish to hear." I managed to smile weakly at him as I continued, "I know you said you were tired, so you don't have to stay awake. I just..." I trailed off and looked away from him before laughing sheepishly. "Ah, nevermind. That's not something I should ask of you. I can show myself to my room."

Before I could move, I felt the bed dip down slightly, and Kyoya sighed, "Don't be silly, Tsuki. It's not a hindrance for me to stay awake." I blinked at him, and my face must have shown some sort of incredulousness because he chuckled lightly. "What's with that look?"

I felt heat steal into my face, and I looked down at the comforter on his bed. "I... I just don't understand, I guess. You've been doing all these things for me recently because I can't be at school, and now you're willing to deal with my weird anxiety. But... what are you getting out of this?" I turned my head to peer up at him with a frown. "Is all this really worth getting a business deal with my father?"

Kyoya closed his eyes and chuckled, though it sounded melancholic. "Hikaru and Kaoru are right; you really are oblivious," he murmured after a long silence, slowly opening his eyes to glance over at me. He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but he stopped himself—as had become the ritual. It was starting to get slightly irritating, actually. I didn't understand why he felt the need to keep things hidden from me, especially if those things were supposedly so "obvious" to everyone else.

"Kyoya, why do you do that? You start to say something, and then you stop yourself before saying it."

The black-haired boy smiled slightly. "Because you're not ready to hear it, or you would've noticed it," he answered simply. "For now, you will have to be satisfied with my inability to answer, though you have my permission to believe it's only because a business deal with your father's company would be prosperous for the Ootori Group."

I stared at him silently before finally shaking my head because there was no way he could be alluding to what I was thinking. "You are making no sense," I muttered.

Kyoya smirked. "On the contrary, I am making plenty of sense. Perhaps you are simply too mentally exhausted."

I surprised even myself when I laughed. "Your not-so-subtle hint has been received, Kyoya. But please don't expect me to fall asleep." I smiled at him as I shuffled off the bed and picked up the Physics book he'd discarded earlier before moving back to my original spot on his bed. "Go ahead and get some sleep, Kyoya. I'm going to study this for a little bit more."

He glanced at me quizzically as I settled back down comfortably. "A few months ago you were refusing to be in the same room with me when I wanted to sleep. Now you're willing to sit in the same bed?"

I coughed delicately and shrugged, opening the Physics book so I was distracted enough to not blush. "As I recall, I was anxious from being in a silent room with your sister. This is an altogether different situation," I retorted, flipping through the pages to find out where we left off. Thankfully, Kyoya didn't comment anymore, and I was barely aware of him taking off his glasses and settling down beneath the covers.

Somehow I was capable of relaxing enough to pay attention to what I was reading, and I only stopped when my eyes started feeling tired. I rubbed at them slightly before glancing over at Kyoya. I wasn't sure how he'd managed it, but he had actually fallen asleep. His breathing was even and shallow, and he looked peaceful. I smiled to myself before turning back to the Physics book, but I could only concentrate on it for a few minutes before my eyes started blurring the words together again.

I sighed softly, letting my head fall back against the headboard, and then proceeded to close my eyes.

* * *

><p>I wasn't entirely aware that I had fallen asleep until I was opening my eyes because I felt something tugging at my hands. I blinked wearily, making some unintelligible noise.<p>

"It's just me. Lie down, Tsuki," a voice ordered quietly from my left, and I heard the sound of something quietly _thunk_ing against something else.

I shook my head, even though I was still half asleep. "Not my room," I mumbled vaguely.

"Tsuki, it's fine. Just lie down," the same voice ordered, and it was a measure of how tired I was that I actually followed it, slipping further beneath the covers and resting my head on the pillow. "Just go back to sleep."

I closed my eyes, burrowing beneath the covers a little more and rolling onto my stomach. I had no clue what time it was, but I knew it was still dark outside.

And it honestly felt like seconds later I was waking up again, but there was a little bit of light filtering in through the windows by then.

I turned my face back into the pillow, bringing a hand up to my mouth to cover a yawn. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and stretched, and that was when movement caught my eye. My head whipped around in the direction of the movement, and I felt blood rush to my face. I had actually _slept _in the same room as _Kyoya_. Hell, not only in the same room, but even in the same _bed_. And that definitely made me feel awkward.

Kyoya sat up, peering over at me in slight confusion. Everything in me was telling me to scramble off the bed and run out of the room, but I sat still, frozen like a deer in headlights.

Kyoya's expression slowly altered into recognition, and he smiled slightly. "So you slept through the night." It wasn't a question; he sounded slightly happy about it.

I found myself smiling back involuntarily. "Yeah, I guess I did," I answered, pushing a hand through my brown locks. I knew my hair had to look messy, so it wasn't going to make it look any worse. "What time is it?"

Kyoya turned to glance at his alarm clock. "Almost seven," he replied, looking back at me. "You should have time to bathe if you'd like. I can check on your uniform in the meantime."

I smiled and nodded. "That would be great, actually. I can leave the door to the guest room unlocked so that it can be laid out in there."

"That would be best," Kyoya agreed.

It was awkwardly silent for a moment before I spurred into action. "All right, then. I guess I'll see you in...half an hour?" I hazarded a guess.

Kyoya nodded. "That should be sufficient time for you, correct?"

I hummed in agreement as I quickly made my way to his door. I felt his gaze on me as I left, and I didn't allow myself to relax until I was in the guest room, my back against the closed door. I'd slept the entire night in Kyoya's bed. There was no telling how indecent that probably was, but what worried me the most was that I'd managed to feel comfortable enough to sleep with Kyoya so close when I couldn't even manage that with _Hiroshi_.

* * *

><p>"You should stop fighting it, Tsuki-hime," Hikaru sighed as he and Kaoru practically carried me into the area in which they all had changed into their Shinsengumi outfits. <strong>(7)<strong> They hadn't chosen to wear wigs, but they chose the "English" attire so that it was easier to differentiate between which characters they were cosplaying. Hikaru and Kaoru were dressed as Shinpachi Nagakura and Sanosuke Harada, respectively. Takashi had been dressed as Souji Okita and Mitsukuni as Heisuke Todo while Tamaki had been donned in Toshizo Hijikita's outfit, and Kyoya was dressed as Hajime Saito (which honestly seemed to fit his character quite well).

"Yeah, because Kyoya-senpai ordered this, and he said you still owed him a favor," Kaoru added.

That didn't keep me from struggling against them. "That doesn't explain why you're talking about _dressing me_. I can do it myself!" I exclaimed.

They both shook their heads. "We know not to let you see what you're changing into since you'd be defiant," Hikaru replied calmly.

"Don't you trust us?" Kaoru asked with a slight pout.

I exhaled heavily, frowning at them both. "You're _guys_! I don't care if you don't see me like that; it's still awkward and totally uncalled for."

"Which is why we brought a few of our maids here," they both answered with mischievous smiles, motioning at the young women who appeared out of nowhere.

I sighed as I was finally set down on my feet, and then I had something being tied around my head and over my eyes. "Isn't this all a bit much for asking him to eat a single bite of cake?" I muttered.

The twins laughed. "Technically, Kyoya-senpai's favor is only that you help out with the Halloween event we're doing," Kaoru retorted. "We don't have enough time to act as hosts _and_ waiters, so we needed your help with serving the clients."

"He gave us the job of taking care of your costume. That included getting you into that costume. Don't worry; they're all really quick and efficient. Just let them do what they want, and you'll be out in no time," Hikaru explained.

"All right, jeez! Now will you two get out? I don't enjoy being blindfolded," I muttered sourly.

Hikaru and Kaoru laughed. "Duly noted," they stated in unison. "Don't give them too much trouble." I heard their footsteps walking away before several footsteps started walking towards me.

"Miss Nakamura, you're about to feel hands on you," a female's voice warned.

I smiled. "Thank you for telling me."

The process was actually rather quick. They had me out of my school uniform in basically record time, and I simply followed their instructions as they started to dress me in whatever costume the twins had chosen. I could tell the fabric was soft, which was a plus, but there was quite a lot of it. I also knew whatever it was had gloves.

"There's a chair behind you. Sit down, please," one of the maids ordered, and I cautiously moved to sit down. The moment I did, they were pulling stockings on me, and then my feet were put into shoes. The next thing they started on was my hair, and they argued about that for several minutes since some of them wanted it put up while others said it would be pointless since it wouldn't cover my ears.

Thankfully, my hair was left down, but they still ended up doing something intricate with it, and I felt weight settle atop my head on both sides. I kept quiet the entire time, and finally I was ushered back up. This time they started fiddling with the back of my costume, and I felt more weight settle roughly around my waist. There was a lot more maneuvering done, and then finally I had the blindfold taken off. I didn't look down at myself just yet, since I didn't know if they were planning on doing anything regarding makeup. They seemed satisfied, however, and they all grinned at me before motioning for me to look in the nearby mirror that was set up.

What I saw made me gasp and blush at the same time. I was wearing something that looked like a cross between _Tokyo Mew Mew _and _Kaichou wa Maid-Sama_. **(8) **The ensemble was more intricate than I could have ever imagined, and I didn't know entirely how to describe it. The "dress" part of it was rather short; it barely hit my mid-thighs, and even then that was only because of the underskirt they'd put on me. The top half had white, puffy sleeves that didn't even reach my elbows, with cream-colored bordering at the ends of the sleeves. There were dark pink ribbons tied around the cream bordering, done in a bow-like fashion. There was a hot pink tie with a dark pink heart at the bottom of it, as well as a dark pink line that went down in a "V" fashion like the tie. The collars were white, and directly underneath was another stretch of cream cloth, also bordered with dark pink ribbon. The area over my breast was covered by the same white cloth as the rest of the costume, and there was a dark pink apron-looking vest arranged over the rest of my torso. There was a large, dark pink bow that adorned the back of my outfit, and the skirt of the dress was hot pink. Near the hem of the over skirt was the same cream bordering with the dark pink ribbon. Both the gloves and knee-high stockings were white with the cream bordering and dark pink ribbons, and the shoes I had been given were basically dark pink Mary Janes. What struck me the most, however, was that I had fox ears and, upon turning slightly, a fox tail. They weren't the normal shade typically associated with foxes; they were slightly less dark than my hair and tinted with a little red. The tip of the tail was still white, of course, and I did a few experimental turns to see that it was definitely secured very well. My hair didn't look like it had been tampered with, but it was styled to keep my ears from showing at all and was probably hiding some sort of headband that helped support the ears.

Overall, I thought it looked cute, but it was definitely not something I would ever optionally wear. Nor did it look like an ensemble that I could have put on myself.

"I think our costume choice was a success," I heard Hikaru comment, and I quickly turned towards him to see he and Kaoru were posed against each other with smug smiles.

Kaoru's smile turned into a slight frown as he shifted out of their pose and walked towards me. "They didn't turn on the ears, though," he murmured, reaching out and fiddling with the headband. I closed one eye since he was applying pressure to that side of my head, and he made a happy noise when something _click_ed. "There we go." He stepped back a few paces, and I felt (and slightly heard) the ears on my head moving.

"Much better," the twins both commented as I looked up at them.

I felt a blush cross my cheeks as I asked, "How long is this event supposed to last?"

They both shrugged. "How would we know that?" they queried.

"The boss is the one who makes those decisions," Hikaru elaborated.

Kaoru nodded and added, "So ask him if you want to know."

"But right now, we need to go," they both stated, nudging me along. The moment we emerged into the club room, I ran into someone and made an embarrassing squeaking noise.

"There you are. I was just..." Kyoya trailed off as he looked down at me, his eyes widening while a light dusting of pink spread across his face.

Hikaru and Kaoru slipped their arms across my shoulders, and they gloated, "We did a great job, right? Doesn't she look adorable?"

Kyoya didn't answer them; instead, he simply turned around and walked towards the area they'd sectioned off for their event. **(9)**

"Guys, I feel kind of out-of-place," I mumbled to the twins. "You guys are basically wearing army uniforms, and I'm wearing something totally opposite. You couldn't have just put me in something close to what you guys were wearing?"

"Don't worry about that. We have some other girls pitching in to help serve, as well. They jumped at the opportunity when they saw the costumes and heard you'd be doing it, too. Not all the costumes are the same, but they're close to it," Hikaru explained.

"Mostly, it's been done based on hair colors and animals," Kaoru added. "None of them have ears that move, though."

They both grinned at me, speaking in unison, "That was done specially for you, Tsuki-hime~"

I sighed and shook my head, smiling slightly. "Thank you for the thought, you two. Now go ahead; I'm sure your customers are waiting on you." They both chuckled before sauntering off to one of the tables that had been set up for them. I watched them link their arms together as they got closer, and they both made their arrival noticeable by leaning over one of the girls and toying with her.

"We would like for you to mostly tend to Tamaki's tables and my tables." I was startled by Kyoya's sudden announcement since I hadn't know he was there.

"I can do that," I answered, nodding. "So I'm acting like a waitress?" I inquired, wanting to verify the information I'd gathered.

"Yes, to an extent. Also, keep an eye on the others, in case they need assistance," Kyoya ordered.

I nodded and smiled up at him. "Would you like anything to eat or drink, Kyoya?"

Kyoya blinked and looked away, shaking his head. "No. I don't partake in food or drink during club activities like this," he answered. "But thank you." He then walked off towards his first table, bowing politely to the guests before sitting down.

I watched him for a short moment before I started doing my assigned job. It actually ended up being pretty simple since most of the girls were too excited by the costumes and just the overall atmosphere. They all tended to order the same drinks and snacks, so there weren't many things I had to worry about remembering. I received compliments about my costume by just about every girl at the tables I waited on, as well as compliments from other girls as I passed by them. It ended up being a lot of fun, and the time passed by quickly. The hosts were on their last round of their tables when Kyoya put a hand out to stop me from walking by. His fingers curled around my bare forearm, and I felt my heart rate pick up at the contact. His hand was warm, and his fingers easily wrapped around my arm.

"Did I forget something, Kyoya?" I asked confusedly, frowning as I looked around him to check on the drinks and snacks the girls had ordered. They were all watching us intently, and I tried not to shift on my feet nervously as I directed my gaze back to him.

"No. These ladies have requested your presence for the last few minutes of the event," Kyoya responded.

I blinked in surprise, acutely aware of the presence of his hand still on my arm. "Um, okay... Is that allowed?" I asked quietly.

Kyoya chuckled, lightly pulling on my arm. "Of course it's allowed. We are here to please our customers."

I nodded, allowing him to pull me up beside him. His hand finally released my arm, and I smiled at the girls seated around the table. "Good evening, ladies," I greeted, clasping my hands together in front of me.

"Will you let us take a picture of you with Kyoya?" one of the girls (a black-haired girl with her hair up in a messy bun) requested.

I glanced at Kyoya, who seemed to be just as surprised as I was by the request, before looking back at the girls. "Um, if Kyoya doesn't mind, I don't see an issue with it," I replied, willing to be obliging. I looked back at Kyoya, quirking a brow at him in a silent question.

"I don't mind," Kyoya answered, and the girls all made their own exclamations of excitement.

I smiled to myself and looked back at all of them. "Did you ladies have a certain pose you wanted us in?" I queried, smiling cutely at them.

They all glanced at each other, and one short-haired brunette girl finally nudged a girl with curly, blonde hair. The blonde girl blushed and fidgeted with her phone. "Uh, well... We were... We were hoping that you would... maybe sit on the arm of his chair and prop your head on his shoulder."

Well, _that _was a rather specific request. I was actually extremely surprised. "Why that particular pose?" I managed to ask without sounding too rude. I still saw Kyoya shoot me a slightly reprimanding look, though.

This time the black-haired girl spoke again. "It's a semi-common pose in manga, and it was one of the only two we could all agree on."

So they'd actually been discussing it. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. "You said one of two. What was the other one?" I inquired.

A different blonde girl answered, "For you to sit sideways in his lap with your arms around his neck and his arms around your waist."

Both my eyebrows shot up, and I glanced at Kyoya to see his expression was about as uncontrolled as mine, considering he looked just as flabbergasted. I looked back at the girls and said, "Wow."

"That's why I suggested the other one," the curly-haired blonde stated kindly. "I thought that one was a bit too intimate for you two to allow us to take a picture of it."

I had to resist the urge to say, "And the other one _wasn't_?" But I knew if I'd said that, Kyoya would berate me for treating their customers badly. Instead, I just decided to play along with them, even though I had no idea what they were saying. I thought of something that would make me blush (and sadly, all it really took was imagining sitting in Kyoya's lap long enough for someone to take a picture) and reached a hand up to rub the back of my neck. "I'm sorry, ladies, but that would be a bit awkward. I don't think it would be a problem to do that first one you suggested, though. Right, Kyoya?" I looked over at him with a smile while cocking my head.

Kyoya seemed to have caught onto what I was doing because he smiled back. "I don't see a problem with it," he agreed. "Have a seat." He motioned to the arm of the chair.

I refrained from laughing since he'd made it sound kind of like a challenge. The girls were once again jittery with excitement, and I honestly didn't want to disappoint them, though I still wasn't sure why they wanted a picture like that. I precariously perched on the arm of the chair, both my legs still dangling over the outside. I crossed them before I leaned over, bending my arms at the elbows and resting both my hands on his shoulder, one on top of the other. I then set my chin down on top of my hands, allowing my torso to relax against him so I wasn't likely to look too uncomfortable (though this definitely felt really weird). "Is this what you were saying?" I asked, angling my head slightly so I could properly see the girls.

There were multiple answers all at once, but I understood that I had done something right. I saw a couple of girls take pictures without even waiting for us to smile or anything, and I chuckled to myself. Kyoya was unnaturally stiff, so I couldn't imagine they would turn out too well. I lifted my head and used my left hand to grab his arm and pull on it. He resisted. "Kyoya, you're too tense," I murmured against his ear. He only went more rigid, but I ignored it. "It's going to make the picture pointless. Put your arm around my waist and _relax_. I'll get off you shortly after they're done, okay?"

Kyoya nodded once, so I released his arm and moved back into the position I'd been in with my chin propped on my hands. His arm circled my waist, and then he pulled me into him a little more before tilting his head slightly to lean against mine. My stomach flipped, and I felt my heartbeat accelerate. For a moment, I literally couldn't remember how to breathe and heat flooded into my face. I managed to collect myself enough to smile as the girls took several pictures, and when they finally seemed satisfied, I lifted my head.

"We can send you the best ones, if you want," one of the girls spoke, directing the statement towards me.

I had to admit it was rather compelling, and I didn't think I'd be able to live with myself if I didn't at least see the outcome of such an awkward experience. "That would be great, ladies, thank you~" I chirped, grinning at them.

They all beamed back at me, and a redhead suddenly exclaimed, "You two are a really cute couple!"

Some of the girls shot her exasperated looks, as if it were something she wasn't supposed to say, while the others made noises of agreement. I didn't know how to respond to that, since it sounded like she thought we were _currently_ a couple, not just two people who would possibly be a cute couple. I actually opened my mouth to ask her when I felt a squeeze on my hip, and I ended up squeaking instead. I sent Kyoya a sharp look, but he wasn't looking at me as he removed his arm from around my waist.

"I'm sorry, ladies, but that's all the time we have today. Tsuki should be here tomorrow afternoon, and you can decide what pictures you want to send to her. I hope you all have a pleasant evening," he farewelled, completely ignoring the girl's exclamation. I thought it was a rather important thing to be avoiding, but I kept my mouth shut and instead smiled and waved at the girls as they left.

When the door finally closed behind them, I jumped up and rounded on Kyoya, ready to tell him what I thought—but I wasn't given the opportunity to do that since I was pulled back into someone, my back against said person's chest.

"Great job today, Tsuki-hime," Hikaru congratulated, and I felt arms wrap around my waist. "As I thought, you looked great in the outfit we designed for you."

I sighed patiently, tapping Hikaru's wrist as I looked over my shoulder at him. "Arms, Hikaru."

I felt another pair of arms slip around my neck, and I turned to look at Kaoru. "Aw, Tsuki-hime, why are you being so rude? He's only trying to compliment you."

I strove for patience with dealing with the twins since I knew they would only be egged on by an angry response. "It sounded more like he was gloating about the skills you two have in regards to costumes," I retorted, smiling slightly. "Now would you two please release me?"

"Why are you in such a hurry, Tsuki-hime?" the twins asked in unison.

Hikaru leaned over me a little, murmuring, "Could it be that you want to change..."

"...because you don't like your costume?" Kaoru finished with a small pout.

I released another sigh, shaking my head. "It has nothing to do with the costume, guys. I wasn't aware I was going to be dragged into something like this, and I have plans for this evening. At this rate, I'm going to be late."

"But Hiro-chan said you were free!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, and I frowned as I looked over at the blonde boy. He was currently on Takashi's shoulders, and they were both still dressed in their cosplay outfits. Kyoya and Tamaki were further away, and they looked like they were arguing about something.

"Hiroshi doesn't know everything about my schedule, Mitsukuni," I replied. "And I didn't tell him about this."

"Wait," Hikaru and Kaoru stated in unison, releasing me and moving to stand beside each other so they could both face me. "You have plans that aren't with Hiroshi?"

I made a face and crossed my arms. "Not everything in my life revolves around you guys, Hiroshi, Emiko, and Tamotsu. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm not inheriting a company. I have to worry about clients and potential clients, and I have to go to parties that I'd rather not attend. I also have to attend dinners whenever my presence is requested. I have a dinner this evening that I _cannot _miss. My father is somewhat decent friends with the man who is coming, and said man is bringing his son because he wants us to meet."

"You don't sound very excited about that," Hikaru commented.

I laughed, "Probably because I'm not. It's basically like a blind date with chaperones."

"What if you actually like the guy, though?" Kaoru queried.

"Yeah, you could meet him and fall in love," Hikaru agreed.

I rolled my eyes with a snort. "Not likely, you two. I don't believe in that 'love at first sight' nonsense. Besides, apparently everyone knows I like Kyoya, given the girls' odd picture request, so I don't understand why you two..." I trailed off the moment the twins smirked, and it suddenly hit me that they'd gotten what they had been aiming for. I had never told any of the hosts outright that I liked Kyoya, though they had all definitely caught on at some point, and I'd never exactly told Kyoya, either, since I had never managed to feel comfortable enough to do it. This definitely wasn't how I'd _wanted_ to do it, though. "Well-played, you two," I congratulated them flatly before turning on my heel and walking back towards the "changing room" (if it could really be called that; it was really one wall and then multiple curtains acting as the other three walls, so it wasn't technically a room).

I tried not to allow myself to dwell on my frustration, but when I realized how impossible it was going to be to change out of the costume without someone's help, I had to resist the urge to punch the wall. As it were, my hands did clench into fists, and I was quite certain I was shaking with the urge to do something. I whirled around when I heard the curtains pulling open, an angry exclamation on the tip of my tongue, but it died when I saw who was standing there. I averted my gaze from the black-haired boy, unsure as to what I should say. I worried my lower lip between my teeth, wondering just how bad it would look if I tried to run.

I opened my mouth and looked up at him again, only to squeak when I saw he was standing way too close for comfort. I stumbled back a few steps out of reflex, and my back collided with the wall. Kyoya moved toward me and leaned over me, bracing an arm against the wall above my head while his other hand grabbed my chin and tilted my head back so that I was looking directly at him.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered out, worried by the indifferent expression he was sporting. "I should have said something to you sooner, but—"

"Yes, you should have," Kyoya agreed, interrupting me. Even his voice was controlled. How the hell did he expect me to know what to say or do?

I glanced to the side of his head, looking up at the ceiling. "I thought you knew. I mean, I practically tackled you to the ground after I got back from my summer tour..." I murmured.

"You were giving mixed signals. It was better to wait," Kyoya answered, his voice low.

I shifted my gaze back to his and asked softly, "Are you angry?"

Kyoya quirked a brow. "Do I seem angry?"

I released an annoyed huff. "No, but you're controlling your voice and your expression. Unless you really just couldn't care less." The thought that he might actually be totally indifferent to the situation really hurt, and I was fairly certain I winced.

Kyoya watched me for a long moment, and I shifted my gaze off of him. It was then that I felt warm lips against mine. My eyes widened in shock as his lips moved lightly over mine, and I felt my stomach flip as my heart raced wildly in my chest. His thumb lightly traced back and forth over my jaw, and heat curled in my abdomen. He lifted his head far sooner than I would have liked, but my breath was coming in gasps by that point. The kiss had been very mild, but I could feel that my face was flushed.

Kyoya didn't say anything as his gaze roved over my face, and I found myself swallowing back my anxiety. I opened my mouth, intending to ask him a question, but what came out was, "Lips are two hundred times more sensitive than fingertips."

The black-haired teen chuckled, swiping his thumb over my lower lip, and then he suddenly released me and took a few steps away. "You said you have a dinner this evening, correct?"

I cursed beneath my breath and darted around him, gathering my school clothes. "Yeah, my ride's probably outside. I'll just go home in this since it'll take too long otherwise," I rambled, moving towards the curtain so that I could leave.

"Tsuki." I stopped with my hand gripping the curtain, and I looked over my shoulder at him curiously. "Don't be too friendly with that boy."

I raised both my brows at him. "Kyoya, I'm going to head that off right now—if I want to be friendly with a guy, I'm going to be friendly. You can get irritated all you want, but I expect you to believe it won't lead to anything." I let my lips curl into a smirk as I added, "Besides, one kiss doesn't automatically make me your girlfriend. You actually have to _ask_ me to be that." I winked and waved at him. "See you tomorrow, Kyoya~"

Before I departed, I saw him smirk and shake his head.

And if I happened to be in an exceptionally good mood that evening, my father didn't comment.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) <strong>I realize that this might be something Kyoya would object to, if it were under normal circumstances. They're in the club room, so people are bound to notice them doing this. However, Sook is obviously sleep-deprived, and he knows she probably didn't get much sleep, if any, while she was away and he is not going to reprimand her for it. Plus, he's enjoying it a little himself. She's optionally leaning her head on his shoulder, and it would be something that would make him happy.

**(2) **This entire situation was an unexpected development the moment I started writing it. Originally, she was going to go home with Hiroshi, and she was going to stay awake the entire night. But then it was altered just enough to where I decided I should have her go home with Kyoya and have her manage to sleep through most of the night. Hiroshi knows Tsuki very well, so it's only natural he would recognize she feels safe around Kyoya. [/shrug] What's a little odd is what happens later when she's actually at Kyoya's house...

**(3) **The first issue I had with her staying over was Kyoya's reaction to seeing her in his clothes. I've always imagined Kyoya as someone who is very possessive of his things, and I just feel like seeing Sook in his clothes would cause him to feel an overwhelming amount of success. His awkwardness, however, stems from the fact that he's just staring at her for no reason, and he's actually just a little insecure about what her feelings are towards him. It's a little difficult to explain, honestly, but if you don't like it, sorry. It's not likely to happen again. Not like that, at least.

**(4) **I want to go ahead and address this: Akito is not a character I have studied extensively. Given the information I do know, however, he seems to be quite a spoiled brat and is totally arrogant. He also seems to be constantly jealous of Kyoya whenever Kyoya is praised for anything. So I wanted to have him be malicious since he really doesn't think Tsuki is anyone important. Plus, it makes it that much more appropriate for Sook to hate his guts. :D [/is shot]

**(5) **And we reach my second issue with this entire "sleepover at Kyoya's." I just don't know, but... I really do think Kyoya would like it that someone was capable of getting back at his brother. And the fact that it's the girl he likes is just far too much for him to handle.

**(6) **You remember chapter five, when I said there would be something that would become common for Tsuki and Kyoya? This is it. Tsuki spouts off random trivia when she feels nervous. I've debated having Kyoya shoot back his own trivia later on, but for now, it's just her~

**(7)** Technically, the anime I based this off of (_Hakuoki_) did not come out until five years after the date in this story. But since those characters were based off of the real Shinsengumi members, I figured I could get away with it. Feel free to look them up, if you'd like. (And I know that there was another character who had glasses that could probably have been better for Kyoya, but... I figured Saito's character fit him well enough. :3

**(8) **I've been toying with the idea of having Sook be the singer for the opening themes of some anime. She's already been noted to sing the _Tokyo Mew Mew_ one, and I really want her to sing "My Secret" (_Kaichou wa Maid-Sama)_, "Sakura Kissu" (_Ouran High School Host Club)_, and"Special Days" (_Special A_). Not sure what other ones I can get away with, but yeah. Just something I may do; let me know what you guys think? Also, along with this note, I thought a fox suited Sook rather well, and I didn't want her to be wearing cat ears and a cat tail since that's so cliche. xD

**(9) **Yeah, so Kyoya wasn't even aware of what the twins had chosen to dress Tsuki in. What she's wearing is actually a bit over-the-top, but it's still something she'd look cute in. Her squeaking and blushing and having fox ears that moved, as well as the nature of the outfit itself, was just too much for Kyoya. It startled him, and he doesn't want to answer the twins' question since it'd be a bit too revealing for his side of things.

DONE. Jeez. This takes so long for me to do. Maybe I should deal with the notes while I'm writing it...

Anyway, I know the ending to this chapter was weird, but it's Kyoya. He's going to act like nothing happened, and because of that Tsuki will, too. They kind of go with each other's flow, lol. And then the last two sentences were abrupt, but I didn't want to have this long, drawn-out thing. Kyoya's not the type to make a confession, and Sook knows it, so she's just happy with the fact that he kissed her. (Then again, who wouldn't be?)

"Hero/Heroine" by Boys Like Girls is the chapter title! I had a hard time finding one that really suited this chapter, but I think it would fit Kyoya rather well. Maybe that's just me, though. Ah, well~ If you're confused, I can try to explain it to you; just let me know. ;)

I'll attempt to have the next chapter out in a couple weeks. AWA is coming up, though, so don't hold your breath. It's possible it will be after it's over. There should only be one more chapter before I start with the episodes, though~ (Debating on having a Christmas chapter after the next one, assuming I don't mash the two together, so it _could _be two.)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had loads of fun writing it~ As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so reviews are seriously appreciated! [/wink wink]

Thanks for reading!

**~ DM ;)**


	12. Chapter XII

_Disclaimer: [/insert a witty reason why I don't own anything]_

Holy cow, guys, I am _so _sorry for how long this took. The only excuse I have is that this took a totally different direction than I had expected, and...things got out of hand. This is officially the longest chapter to date (by about a hundred words) and I'm not entirely sure how well I like it. But it refuses to be written any other way, and I have rewritten pieces of this _multiple_ times. (I also have a lot more schoolwork than I'd originally expected since I transferred universities last semester, and all my professors think it's okay to give three hours of homework every night of the week, so I'm juggling that and my duties in my small, local-social sorority.)

A couple quick things about this chapter: one, the talk with Fuyumi just got nixed because I lost all my notes for this story and have no clue what it was supposed to be. Two, Sook and Kyoya don't give each other... "traditional" birthday gifts for couples. Three, if you weren't aware of my update on my profile, something happens in this chapter that could be a bit off-putting since it's the first time it's been witnessed, but it kind of needs to happen so I don't want to ignore it much longer; hopefully it'll be the only "on-screen" one you guys have to witness. Four, I'm trying to make Kyoya and Sook couple-y but still themselves, so this chapter is...weird. I don't know how to describe it, but just let me know if you think I need to tone down anything or play up anything?

Anyway, I won't keep you guys long with this; just know that the next chapter starts episodes, and I am_ psyched_~ Now onto reviews!

**slashingfruit101**, thanks so much! I'm glad you agree with the anime/songs I chose for her! ^^

**Molly Grace 16**, you'll find your answer to how Fuyumi knows Tsuki. And Tsuki will meet Haruhi in the next chapter, pretty much immediately. So I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you!

**Maddie **(Guest), oh my gosh, all your reviews were hella inspiring. Also, I was blushing when I read them because your words were really sweet and I have never had someone say anything like that to me before. (And I had at least one "cool story, bro" a few chapters ago, but I always like any one that I get~)

**KyokoSnow**, I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review! ^^

**RANDOM COOKIE NINJA, **I (unfortunately) didn't update soon, but I _did _update! As for the person she saw, it's addressed in this chapter, but (since it's not really that important) it's Saito, the guy from a few chapters ago. (Also, your excitement over the kiss made me really happy~)

**Guest**, it's been almost a year, and I'm so sorry, but here's an update? [/is an awful person]

**Brix8**, yes, they finally kissed! It took them long enough, right? Ugh; they're both so stubborn.

**Draggon Dancer**, I'm so glad you think the plotline is suspenseful enough! I'm always worried people are going to get bored with a story, so I aim to keep it as entertaining as I can without making it ridiculous. ^^;

**Wolfie-senpai**, I'm so absolutely happy that you like the way Kyoya fell for Sook-_and _that you're enjoying all their moments! That's about all I can ask for from my readers.

And that is it! I love all of you (even ones I didn't call out and reply to) and thank you so much for taking the time to review this story! Now I'll shut up and let you get on with reading! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

><p><em><strong>chapter xii<strong>_

I knew better than to expect to be left alone during club hours. It was physically impossible to go the entirety of it without being bothered by _someone. _So when it was getting close to the end of club period, it was unsurprising that the concentration I had been placing solely on my homework was shattered.

"Tsuki-hime, we've known you for almost a year," I heard two voices speak, positioned directly behind me.

I frowned and looked over my shoulder at the Hitachiin twins quizzically when they did not add onto their statement. "...and...?" I prompted.

Hikaru and Kaoru shared a look before sighing. "Well, you have to have a birthday at some point, right?" Kaoru queried.

"Unless it has already passed and you neglected to tell us," Hikaru added.

I quirked a brow as a smile curved my lips. "You expect me to believe you did not look up my birthday on the internet?"

"Of course we didn't," Hikaru retorted, and he actually sounded slightly offended.

"Why would we do that when we could just hear it from you?" Kaoru agreed, and instead of offended, he sounded hurt.

They seemed genuine, and I felt a slight pang of guilt. It had never been my intention to keep my birthday from them. I had just expected they would look it up online. "I'm sorry, you two. I didn't mean to upset you or keep it from you. I honestly thought you knew all of that already. And it hasn't passed, yet. I was already fifteen when you met me. My birthday is a week from tomorrow."

They both mused over that for a moment, but the voice that spoke next was feminine-and it was excited. "You have the same birthday as Kyoya!"

There was definitely some excited tittering from the girls in the room after that, and I blinked in surprise as I looked in the direction of the black-haired boy with glasses. When his gaze met mine, he smirked and nodded, and I had to admit I was stunned. "Huh," I intoned, shifting my gaze back to the twins.

"That's rather coincidental," Kaoru muttered, though he and his brother were grinning.

"I was a little premature," I replied, shrugging. "I came about a month early, and there were some... complications during the thirty-six hours my mother was in labor." By that, I meant the fact that she had wanted to give birth to me naturally, and she'd fought against the doctors the entire way until they told her she had no choice but to have a Cesarean section or lose her baby. Obviously, she had chosen to have the C-section or I wouldn't be here.

The twins both gained thoughtful looks as they murmured, "I wonder if you were born at the same time."

I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest as I finally turned around to face them a bit more properly. "I highly doubt it. I was born seven minutes after midnight on the twenty-second. My mom went into labor a little after noon on the twentieth."

This prompted everyone in the room to focus their attention on the black-haired male wearing glasses. It was easy for me to see that Kyoya was not willing to indulge any of them with their ridiculous fantasies, but he smiled politely at the girls near him anyway. "I am not sure of the exact time, but I know I was born around seven in the evening." I held back a snort—I did not believe Kyoya didn't know the exact time; he probably knew it down to the millisecond.

"There you go, boys. Kyoya was born roughly nineteen hours after I was," I announced to the twins.

They looked put out for all of three seconds before they smirked at me. "So you're into younger men, then?" Hikaru queried.

"I have to admit I'm surprised," Kaoru added.

I rolled my eyes as I turned back to my homework. "Considering you both know my ex-boyfriend, I don't see how you came to that conclusion," I remarked nonchalantly. My interest in the conversation was quickly waning.

Thankfully, they didn't comment further (which was highly unlike them) and I was able to finish my homework just before the last client left the room.

"Tsuki-hime, we simply _must _have a party for you and Kyoya next week!" Tamaki exclaimed, and I wasn't surprised to turn and find him standing right behind the chair I was seated in.

"We are not throwing a birthday party during club hours, Tamaki," Kyoya and I retorted at the same time, though I was fairly certain we weren't saying it for the same reasons.

Tamaki wilted slightly but perked up when Mitsukuni chirped, "Then we'll do it after school~"

I grimaced and opened my mouth to protest _that_ as well, but I had barely begun to speak when Kyoya spoke in favor of the idea. "We can have it at my place. Fuyumi has been planning one since summer. It was supposed to be a surprise for Tsuki, which is why I never brought it up."

"When were you planning on telling us!?" the twins and Tamaki exclaimed indignantly.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up further on the bridge of his nose. "Next Tuesday afternoon. I didn't want you to spoil the surprise."

I blinked before frowning at him. "But Kyoya—_you _just spoiled it," I muttered, not following his current line of thinking.

"It was a spontaneous yet calculated decision. I could tell from your facial expression that you did not enjoy the thought of a birthday party and knew you would do your best to avoid it if we planned it out right now. However, since Fuyumi has been planning it for months, I knew you would be more likely to agree to it," Kyoya explained, elaborating more than he normally would have.

I didn't have a response to that, and instead of listening to Kyoya fill the others in on what was going to happen next Tuesday, I fiddled with my pencil, not really thinking about anything in particular.

A hand on my shoulder had me blinking up at Kyoya curiously. "Yes?"

"The others are leaving. I have a few things I need to do before I leave. If you don't have anything pressing to do this evening, I would like for you to stay. I can take you to wherever you need to go after," Kyoya answered softly.

I tried not to look too excited about his request. I hadn't really spent any time with him the past two weeks, and I wasn't sure what was going on between us. There was still a doubt present in my mind about whether or not Kyoya really felt anything for me, and as such, I hadn't wanted to bring the subject up.

—And Kyoya was waiting for a reply. Right.

"I don't think I have anything to do this evening. My father has a business dinner, so he'll either be expecting me to stay out later or won't even be home when I get back, anyway. I've been staying there on school nights recently. The commute is much easier," I explained, rambling slightly, but if Kyoya noticed that, he didn't comment on it.

I watched him walk away and over to the storage area and, after a glance around to see that the others had obviously anticipated what my reply would be, I scrambled up out of the chair and followed after him. "Is there anything I can help with, Kyoya?"

The black-haired male glanced back at me over his shoulder, looking somewhat surprised that I had followed him. "I don't have too much to do, actually, and it would be easier if I did it all."

I frowned because I really didn't want to sit around doing absolutely nothing. "Surely there's _something_ I can do, Kyoya," I murmured, and I heard him sigh.

"I suppose you can take inventory of the snacks," he answered.

I was almost positive he did inventory of snacks on Wednesdays, but at least it was _something_—and something I knew how to do. I grabbed the notebook he used from its perch on the desk nearby and quickly set to work on the task Kyoya had given me. From the glimpses of him that I saw, he seemed to be looking through their costumes and props—which I had to admit I would not have been able to assist him with. Kyoya was very particular about inventory lists, and I didn't know enough about clothing and props to receive his approval. I was probably lucky he allowed me to do snack inventory.

Unsurprisingly, I finished inventory of the snacks before he finished his inventory. Setting the notebook back in its place, I opened a drawer and picked up a different notebook, writing out what we were running low on and what would probably need to be ordered again by Wednesday afternoon. After returning that notebook to its drawer, I turned to watch Kyoya, worrying my lower lip between my teeth. I wanted to breach the subject I had been fretting over for weeks, but I was extremely nervous about doing such.

"I can feel you staring, Tsuki," Kyoya commented, his voice tinged with slight amusement. I felt my face flush, but I couldn't bring myself to speak. After a moment of tense silence, the black-haired teen looked over his shoulder at me. Something must have given away my anxiety because he frowned and—catching me quite off guard—walked over to me. "Your lip is bleeding."

Oh—well, that was probably a huge indicator of my nerves; right. I opened my mouth, and words passed unbidden between my lips. "Do you regret what happened two weeks ago?"

Kyoya blinked, his expression a mixture of confusion and surprise. "Pardon?"

I swallowed nervously, but I had already spoken, so it was only fair I elaborate. "Two weeks ago you kissed me. We haven't spoken of it, nor have we been alone or acted any differently since then. I just…thought you might regret having done it."

There were many scenarios that had flashed through my head in response to my statement, but I wasn't entirely expecting the response I received. I heard myself squeak as warm hands cradled my jaw and tilted my head back, and the next thing I knew warm lips were pressed against mine. I had the presence of mind to lean into the kiss and hesitantly move my lips against his as my fingers grasped tightly onto his blazer. He made a noise in his throat that shot warmth tingling through me and caused me to gasp slightly at the intensity of the feeling. I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was trembling and that my fingers were in pain from how tightly I was gripping Kyoya's blazer.

I made a noise of protest when he pulled away slightly, and I managed to frown up at him even though my head was spinning. I heard (and felt) him chuckle as his thumbs caressed my jaw. "Was that a clear enough response?"

I surprised myself when I retorted, "I don't know. Maybe you should repeat it."

Kyoya chuckled again, and I felt one of his thumbs start lightly brushing back and forth over my lower lip. I shivered slightly, feeling a little overwhelmed by my physical response to him. I had thought my reaction to our first kiss (which had actually left me addled for far too long) had just been because it was our first kiss, but the reaction I was feeling right now was at least as intense as the first one. I was a bit frightened by it, really, but I liked it far more than I feared it.

"Could you handle a repeat?" Kyoya murmured with a little amusement.

I scowled at him, narrowing my eyes. "You're not _that _great of a kisser."

He quirked a brow at me and smirked. "You didn't think that would work."

I scoffed. "I'm not trying to goad you into kissing me again. I was simply stating a fact. I'm not going to swoon from you kissing me," I retorted.

"That depends on your definition of swoon."

I sighed, slightly exasperated, and clarified, "By swoon, I meant faint. And before you lead this in that direction, I highly doubt you could make my knees buckle, either." Kyoya's eyes narrowed only minutely, but I knew that he'd taken my words as a challenge. I shook my head and pushed at his chest. "We're not doing this now. The moment's passed. Go finish your inventory. I'm hungry."

Kyoya did as I requested, though it wasn't much of a surprise. In this sense I was almost certain he had more control over his responses. _How_ he had such control when I became a mess of nerves was something I doubted I would ever find the answer to. Maybe it had to do with his upbringing—or maybe he wasn't as easily affected as I was (though I did not want to believe he did not feel just as affected). Whatever the reason, it was comforting to know he was concerned about pushing my boundaries, at least.

The thought made me smile, and when my gaze focused, I found that I was looking at Kyoya and he was looking back at me with amusement gracing his features.

I felt my face heat up when he didn't look away. "…what?"

"You weren't listening, were you?" he queried, and I smiled sheepishly in response. "I asked where you would like to eat."

I bit down on my lower lip and cast my gaze to the side slightly as I thought. I hadn't really had time to eat out recently, so anything nearby sounded heavenly to me. "I don't know," I finally admitted. "Why don't you choose something?"

Kyoya didn't show any sign of having heard me, so I turned to look at him and blinked when I saw he was standing at the desk and putting away a notebook. I _knew _there was no way he hadn't heard me, so I waited patiently to see if he was planning on pretending he hadn't heard. "We can go to that café a few blocks away," he suggested, and I felt my mouth drop open in surprise.

I quickly recovered when he looked at me questioningly, and I managed to say, "Really?" Kyoya merely nodded, and I found myself smiling shyly. "Um, yeah, okay."

Kyoya gave me an odd look, but he didn't say anything and instead turned around and walked out of the storage room. I tripped slightly as I followed after him, and after we'd gathered our items, we walked out of the building in a rather comfortable silence.

* * *

><p>That silence was only broken when we sat down at our table to wait on our food. I felt abnormally nervous, and I silently cursed my awful luck with the timing of my awkwardness. "In the Middle Ages, chicken soup was considered an aphrodisiac," I randomly blurted, and I barely refrained from wincing. Of all the random trivia I knew, it <em>had <em>to be something like that.

Kyoya chuckled, but his expression abruptly turned into his polite mask as his gaze shifted above my head. That was the only warning I received, and I barely managed to turn when a male's voice said, "Tsukiko-chan, what a pleasant surprise." **(1)**

I nearly groaned aloud at the newcomer's timing. No matter how swiftly this interaction went, it would not end very well. I smiled politely up at the boy standing beside me. "Saito-kun, I'm surprised to see you here. I wasn't aware you came to this café." Speaking to him so familiarly bothered me, but the last time I'd seen him, he'd told me to call him by his first name.

Saito smiled back at me, seeming genuinely happy to see me. "Actually, this is my first time coming here. You and your father made it sound worthwhile at dinner a couple weeks ago, and I just had the opportunity to try out the place."

"Oh," I answered, a little startled. I didn't recall speaking about it, but I _had _been a bit—ahem—distracted that evening. And at that thought, I motioned towards the black-haired male across from me. "I'm here with a friend of mine from school, Ootori Kyoya." I looked at Kyoya before continuing, "Kyoya, this is Kiyoshi Saito. His father is a prospective business partner of my father."

Kyoya bowed his head politely, and Saito returned the gesture, but there was some sort of animosity or irritation coming from both of them and directed at each other. It was actually a little unsettling, so I was extremely grateful when a waitress brought out our food and drink.

I gave Saito another polite smile, making it look slightly apologetic. "I hate to be rude, but I have to be home soon, and I am starving. I think your father invited us for dinner in a few weeks, so I'll definitely see you then, all right?"

Saito looked startled and disappointed, but he smiled. "Of course; I don't want to intrude on your meal. It was great to see you, Tsukiko-chan, and it was nice to meet you, Ootori-san." He didn't give Kyoya chance to reply before he quickly walked off.

I had just taken a sip of my peppermint hot chocolate when Kyoya commented, "He seems quite enamored with you."

I choked on my drink and ended up with an odd mixture of laughing and coughing. Kyoya was watching me with a slightly concerned expression by the time I grinned at him. "There's no need to be jealous, Kyoya. The guy's a total douchebag."

Kyoya acted like he hadn't heard me, which was basically his way of saying "I'm not jealous." He didn't say anything as he started eating his soup, and I tried not to give into the temptation to goad him a little.

I managed to keep from doing or saying anything until we were leaving—I couldn't just leave without _some _sort of departing words to Saito. My father would never let me hear the end of it when he found out, because he _would_ find out if I did such a thing. There was no way Saito would keep quiet about me attempting to ignore him. So I made my way over to where Saito was seated, nodding politely at the man (who I assumed was a servant) with him.

The man had likely informed Saito I was walking over, for he looked up and smiled at me before I could speak. "Did you enjoy your dinner, Tsukiko-chan?"

I smiled back and nodded as I came to a stop beside Saito's chair. "I did, thank you. Have you enjoyed your dinner thus far?"

Saito nodded rather enthusiastically. "I have! This place is a lot better than I had initially thought."

I tried not to let that irritate me, and instead made myself grin at him. "I'm glad to hear it!" Upon an impulsive and somewhat mischievous response, I suggested, "Maybe we can come eat here together sometime, then."

Saito blinked in shock before an easy grin lit his face. "I would really enjoy that, Tsukiko-chan. Perhaps we can discuss when the next time we see each other."

"Oh, absolutely! That would be perfect," I agreed, cocking my head with a cute smile. "I'm sorry I cannot stay and chat, but I'll see you soon, okay, Saito-kun?"

"Of course!" Saito answered, standing quickly and bowing slightly. "Until then."

I bade him and his servant a good evening, giving a little curtsey, before turning and making my way to where Kyoya stood beside the door. His expression was indifferent, but his jaw was set just a little too much to not betray his slight irritation. He didn't say anything to me as he opened the door, and I knew my speaking to Saito had actually done what I'd wanted. However, he was still too much of a gentleman to not hold open the door for me while in public, and I flashed him a grin in thanks.

His limousine was already pulled up front, with the driver standing beside an open door, so I made my way to it and, after saying, "Thank you," to the driver, slid across the seat so that Kyoya could get in. I heard Kyoya tell the driver to head to my father's estate, and a few seconds later we were alone in the back of the limo.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see him there," I remarked lightly, turning in my seat so that I was somewhat facing Kyoya in order to gage his response.

"He's the one you had dinner with two weeks ago," Kyoya stated, glancing over at me. "The one you were late to."

I watched him carefully, nodding. "Yes."

He made a humming noise to acknowledge he'd heard me, but he didn't say anything else.

I fidgeted slightly because he seemed rather angry, and that wasn't what I had wanted. I swallowed back my anxiety in the hopes that it would keep me from outright asking him if he was angry with me.

Of course it didn't work.

"Are you mad at me?" I blurted, but it seemed Kyoya had been expecting that question.

He didn't look at me as he answered, "No."

I wasn't sure if I should believe him, but I turned my head to look out the window, my hands fisting in the skirts of my school uniform.

We didn't speak for the rest of the ride, but when we got to my father's estate, he walked me up the steps and to the door. I knew he wouldn't be staying, so I turned around to face him, opening my mouth to bid him a good evening, when I was suddenly pulled forward as warm lips descended upon mine. My eyes widened, and I made a startled noise, my fingers instinctively gripping onto Kyoya's blazer. My brows furrowed in confusion, and I almost attempted to pull away—and likely would have, if Kyoya hadn't chosen that moment to nip at my lower lip. I gasped sharply against his lips, which apparently prompted him to teasingly trace my lower lip with his tongue. My eyes fluttered closed as a quiet whimper sounded in my throat, and without even thinking about it, I parted my lips in invitation. Kyoya's grip on me loosened, and I imagine he would have pulled away if I hadn't shifted closer to him and made my arms loop around his neck. The noise he made in his throat sounded like a mixture of a groan and surrender, which sent heat spreading through me. I barely realized I was trembling, but this time I managed to place it as anticipation.

I didn't know what to expect, and I found myself tensing slightly as his tongue tickled my lips, bracing myself for what could possibly be a rather gross feeling (since I wasn't inclined to believe the stories I had read, for that would be rather ridiculous). I was pleasantly surprised—it wasn't anywhere near as gross as I thought it would be, though it was still a little awkward. He actually tasted mostly of spice—and something else I couldn't quite place but was equally as pleasing. I shuddered slightly and released a quiet moan when his hand tangled in my hair, his nails accidentally grazing my scalp. He didn't do it again, but I felt him smirk against my lips and knew he'd committed it to memory. His teeth caught at my lower lip, and a sharp, keening noise sounded in my throat, prompting what sounded like a growl from Kyoya, which caused me to gasp as the muscles in my abdomen contracted.

And _then_ my knees decided to unceremoniously stop supporting me.

Kyoya's grip on me shifted, as if he'd been waiting for it (which he probably had been, the jerk), and his arms steadied me to keep me from falling to the ground. I looked up at him, my eyes wide and my breath coming in soft pants. He smirked and lifted one hand to my face, lightly caressing my jaw before his thumb traced my lower lip. I trembled slightly, and my stomach clenched again, causing my breath to hitch in my throat.

"Kyoya." I managed to choke his name out, and I heard the fear in my voice. **(2)**

Immediately his eyes narrowed in concern, and his hand moved to the nape of my neck, rubbing soothing circles. "Calm down, Tsuki," he murmured, leaning his head down to brush a kiss against the top of my head. "You're all right. Just breathe." It took several shuddering breaths for me to even be able to somewhat breathe like a normal person, my eyes shut tightly as I hid my face in his chest. This was highly embarrassing, considering I'd been the one to keep him from stopping when he'd originally felt he was pushing boundaries.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, my arms moving to slide around his waist. I didn't know how to explain what I was sorry about, so I hoped he knew what I meant.

"It's fine. I should have controlled myself better," he admitted quietly.

I frowned slightly, pulling away from him a little and narrowing my eyes up at the black-haired boy. "Don't you dare, Kyoya," I retorted sharply. He quirked a brow, and I felt my face flush at the unintended meaning of my words. "What I mean is— just don't— it's not your fault, okay? I'm the one that pushed you, and if I'm being completely honest, the control you have shown thus far is a bit irritating. I know you're concerned about my boundaries, but really—there is such a thing as _too much_. I'm not going to... grow accustomed to my responses if you try to avoid what I'm uncomfortable with. If you go by that, we'll be stuck with short kisses on the cheek for... a while."

Kyoya didn't respond, his expression unreadable, and I opened my mouth to ask for confirmation that he wouldn't constantly worry about his actions, but I didn't even get the first syllable out.

"What a pleasant surprise this is."

The black-haired teen tensed at the sound of my father's voice, and I peeked around Kyoya, a smile forming on my face. "Daddy!" I gasped, slipping my arms from Kyoya's torso and running to hug the man a few steps away.

My father chuckled, returning the hug and dropping a kiss on the top of my head. "It's good to see you, sweetie." With an arm still around me, he looked up at Kyoya. "Good evening, Kyoya. How are you?"

Kyoya smiled politely, bowing his head. "Good evening, Shirou-san," he greeted before lifting his head to meet my father's gaze. "I am doing quite well, thank you. And how are you?"

"That's good to hear," my father replied sincerely. "As for me, my dinner went well, and I'm getting to see my daughter for the first time in a few days, so I am fantastic!" The amount of enthusiasm in his voice surprised me a little, and I frowned slightly because it was genuine, but there was something else that seemed to be making him excited—I could tell by the way he held himself, his posture not relaxed enough.

Kyoya glanced at me before looking back at my father, and his smile shifted fractionally; for a very short moment, it was tinged with warmth, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was a reaction I was willing to bet I would always have, and it was at once irritating and elating.

"I am glad to hear it. I know she enjoys spending time with you, as well," Kyoya answered my father, and the stark honesty in his voice caused heat to creep up my neck and steal into my face.

"Thank you, Kyoya," my father murmured, and I glanced up to see green eyes looking back down at me, a fond smile quirking the lips set a little further below them.

"I apologize for the brief conversation, but I should probably head home," Kyoya spoke after a short moment of silence, and I shifted my gaze from my father and to the black-haired teen. "I hope you both have a pleasant evening." This time he bowed at his waist slightly, and his gaze flicked to mine and held as he straightened. "I will see you tomorrow, Tsuki."

I nodded quickly, feeling myself smile shyly. "Yeah, see you tomorrow, Kyoya. Good night," I answered, the words feeling a little stilted. My brain managed to catch up, and I quickly followed with, "Thank you for dinner and the ride home." Kyoya's lips twitched, but he managed not to smirk like I thought he probably wanted to.

My father shifted slightly, and I knew he was curious about the last thing I'd said, but I moved into him, in an effort to convey I would explain if he kept quiet. He chuckled before lightly squeezing my shoulder. "Good night, Kyoya. Tell your father I said hello, will you?"

Kyoya nodded before bowing his head in a final farewell and turning to leave. His stride was long and purposeful as he walked back down the drive to his family's limo, and I found myself watching him until my father stepped in the way. I scowled slightly, shrugging his arm off, and then I felt my face burn when I realized what I had just done.

Rather than being irritated or stern, my father simply laughed, his hand coming up to rest in between my shoulder blades and pressing to make me turn and walk back to the door. "Come on, Sook. I think you've got a bit to fill me in on," he teased, and I resisted the urge to groan.

I did not look forward to the teasing that would inevitably follow that conversation.

* * *

><p>It had taken several hours to decide what I was going to do for Kyoya's birthday. I had originally intended to do it for Christmas, but I could not think of anything different, and I didn't trust myself to think of something within the next week. It would be much easier to simply find something different for Christmas, since it was still a little over a month away.<p>

Unfortunately, though I had made a decent amount of headway on his Christmas gift (and was ahead of schedule for it) there was still a lot to do in one week. My memory of that week was fairly hazy, though I recalled a few near-anxiety attacks that Hiroshi headed off, and I somehow managed to get everything done that I needed to, the day before our birthday.

Granted, it was around three am on that day, but it was still that day. I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep for about twenty-four hours, but that wasn't an option. In fact, even falling asleep wasn't really an option because I knew I wouldn't wake up in time for school.

So by the time I made it into classroom 2A, I was in a rather cranky mood, and I was pretty sure I looked like the walking dead. I slumped against my desk after sliding into the seat, fighting against my eyes' preference of fluttering closed. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I shot the owner a glare.

Tamaki was frowning down at me, his brows furrowed in concern. "Tsuki-hime, are you all right?" he murmured.

"I'm fine, Tamaki," I groaned irritably, shifting my hands so I could rub my fingers in circles against my temples. "I'm just a little tired."

Tamaki, of course, wasn't going to let it go. "You don't sound fine, and you look more than a little tired," he retorted, his voice just the tiniest bit hard.

"I'm. _Fine_," I stressed, managing to dredge up a slight smile. "Really. You're worrying over no—"

"You're not fine."

I went rigid when a voice tinged with cool anger cut me off, and I gritted my teeth together, shooting a narrowed look to the black-haired male who wasn't even _looking_ at either of us.

I forced my teeth to unclench and snapped, "Excuse me?"

Kyoya's jaw set a little more, but he still didn't look over. "You heard me," he answered quietly, that same cool anger in his voice.

I found myself laughing, though it was a little more sarcastic than anything else. "You want to try _looking at me_ while saying it, Kyoya?"

There was a silence in the room that hadn't been there before, and Kyoya's posture went stiff, but he didn't look over at me, and he didn't say another word.

"Tsu—"

"_Tamaki, I'm fine_," I hissed, cutting him off before he could get past the first syllable. I then promptly turned to rummage through my bag and pull out my headphones and iPod, in an effort to calm down before class actually started.

I should have known that would be too good to be true.

I had barely made it through one song when I felt the headphones slip roughly from my ears, and a hand was jerking me up from my seat. "Hey!" I managed to snap at the slight roughhousing, but the grip on my arm was relentless.

"Grab her stuff," Hiroshi ordered, his voice a little muffled, so I imagined he was saying it over his shoulder.

The moment we were in the hall, I yanked myself from his grip and turned around to growl, "What the _hell_, Hiroshi!?"

Hiroshi's brown eyes flashed angrily back at me as he retorted, "_Not here, Tsukiko._"

I jerked back at his use of my full name, hurt flashing through me for no reason and causing my eyes to sting. I gritted my teeth and averted my gaze but kept quiet, feeling multiple emotions vibrating through me. I ignored all the voices around me and stared at the ground, and pretty soon I found myself being blindly guided through the halls of Ouran Academy.

When we finally stopped, I tuned into my surroundings and blinked, frowning and crossing my arms over my chest as I turned to look at Hiroshi. To my surprise, I found seven faces looking back at me, and it only made me feel defensive. "Why the hell are we in the club room?" I asked harshly, my eyes narrowing.

No one spoke, and I felt my hands clench into fists, my nails biting into my palms. Takashi finally took a few steps forward, asking quietly, "You're looking for a fight. Why?"

I frowned, my brows drawing together in confusion. "What?"

Takashi gestured at me, and I looked down to see that I had fallen into the normal stance I used when in karate practice. And with the way I could feel my body vibrating, I knew it was true. I had a lot of pent up emotions fueling energy that I didn't really have. "Why?" Takashi repeated.

The question angered me, and I snapped, "I don't know!"

His next question surprised me. "Do you want to fight?"

My stance dropped, and I pushed a trembling hand through my hair. "I don't... I don't know," I whispered. Feeling a little angry that I had whispered it, I repeated with a little more vehemence, "I don't know!"

Hiroshi moved to stand next to Takashi. "You're tired," he stated calmly.

"So what!?" I retorted. "I'm always tired! It's nothing new! Stop acting like me being tired is the issue!"

Mitsukuni stepped forward this time, his expression concerned. "Then what _is_ the issue?" he asked softly.

"Damn it, I don't know! How many times do I have to say that!?" I exclaimed, bringing my hands up to rub at my eyes. I was not going to cry. I wasn't. I was tired and angry and confused by the feelings pressing outward, but I was not going to cry about it.

"Tsuki," I heard Takashi say, his voice slightly off from its usual tone but also still slightly familiar. It was the only warning I received before I felt a blow to my arm—painful enough to make me hiss but not painful enough to do any bad damage. It probably wouldn't even bruise. It was a taunt, and I willingly dove into it. Takashi easily blocked my attacks, lulling me into a rhythm that would allow me to expend all the emotional energy without fully draining the practically nonexistent energy I had.

It was over in a matter of minutes, and I dropped to my hands and knees, breathing hard. I had no clue when I had started crying, but I could feel the tears on my face. It was quiet, and I breathed in a shuddering breath before choking out an, "I'm sorry."

I was quickly pulled into a hug, and Hiroshi shushed me, whispering, "It's all right, Sook. Just calm down."

"I'm sorry," I answered before pressing my face hard into his shoulder, feeling my body shake with the effort to keep from sobbing.

"Sook, no, don't apologize," Hiroshi reprimanded, his voice sounding a little broken. "I figured it out, and I can't believe I forgot."

"Figured what out?" the twins queried, and I lifted my head from Hiroshi's shoulder to see them both hovering nearby, anxious expressions on their faces.

Hiroshi's mouth quirked in a sad smile, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It's November twenty-first. Eight years ago, it was the first night your insomnia started. The first time you heard your parents arguing. Every year since you've left, you've called me on this day, angry and upset for no reason. Granted, for me, it was usually already your birthday, so I guess I just didn't put two and two together."

I frowned, sniffling slightly even though the tears still hadn't stopped. "But... That was at night."

Hiroshi choked out a laugh. "Sook, you are absolutely exhausted. You haven't had more than an hour's sleep the last week. It's not surprising that you would be irate and upset so early. You should be at home sleeping, not here dealing with school."

I pulled away from Hiroshi, shaking my head. "I don't need to miss more class than I already do." I also didn't want to go back home. I actually _enjoyed _school, and being at home would not help me in my current state.

"Don't worry about missing class. Kyoya and I can handle that for you," Tamaki admonished. "But with how obviously upset you are, being in class won't do you any good."

I looked up at the blonde male, opening my mouth to speak when Hikaru piped up, "Why don't we let her sleep in here?"

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed. "She obviously doesn't want to go home."

"And since there's a bed for Honey-senpai, she could use that," they both surmised.

I furrowed my brows before managing to sputter, "W-wai—what?"

"Hika-chan and Kao-chan are right! I don't mind!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, beaming at me before looking over his shoulder. "It's okay if she sleeps here, right, Kyo-chan?"

I shifted my gaze up and behind Mitsukuni, allowing it to settle on Kyoya only briefly before I looked down at the floor, biting down on my lower lip. In my less emotional state, I recalled snapping at him and causing a slight scene in front of our classmates. I knew he wouldn't say "no" to my sleeping in their club room during school hours because that wouldn't be a valid reason, to him, to deny me something I obviously needed. But I also knew he likely wanted to, and I knew he was still angry with me for coming to school like this in the first place. I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of just _how_ angry he probably was.

"Of course she can stay here," Kyoya answered, his tone perfectly even.

Hiroshi's next words blindsided me, even though they really, _really_ shouldn't have.

"The better question, Kyoya, is will you stay in here with her?" **(3)**

I jerked my head up to shoot him a what-the-hell look, but he was ignoring me in favor of staring down Kyoya.

"You and I both know she won't stay without someone with her," Hiroshi continued when Kyoya didn't respond. "I would, but I don't really trust any of my friends to pay attention in classes and explain what I missed. Mitsukuni and Takashi aren't very good at being separated that long; the twins definitely aren't able to be separated that long. I suppose Tamaki could stay with her, but—"

"All right," Kyoya interrupted him quietly, and I resisted the urge to look at the black-haired teen. I was fairly certain I wouldn't like what I saw, anyway.

Hiroshi nodded, one side of his mouth quirking up. "Good." He pushed himself up from the floor and then turned to me, pulling me up as well. "Get some sleep, Sook. I'll check in on you during lunch, and then I'll come by before clubs start. If you want, by then, I'll take you home with me, okay?"

I frowned but nodded, whispering, "All right."

He smiled a little more, pulling me into a brief hug and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. His mouth dropped down beside my ear as he added almost inaudibly, "Kyoya's worried, so he's angry. Just apologize and talk to him." He squeezed me before quickly releasing me and announcing, "We all need to get back to class. If you want to hug her, make it snappy."

I wasn't surprised when I was sandwiched in a hug by the twins. "We hope you feel better, Tsuki-hime," they both murmured.

"We'll check on you at lunch, too," Hikaru added, and I found myself smiling up at him.

Kaoru whispered conspiratorially, "Yeah, I'll bring you a dessert." That wrangled a rather weak chuckle from me.

"Thank you, you two," I answered sincerely. "Now get to class."

Mitsukuni practically tackled me when the twins released me, and I felt Takashi steady me before I fell. "You had all of us really worried," he whimpered, and I felt myself flinch. Both of their grips on me tightened in response. Mitsukuni lifted his head, and his expression altered slightly as he registered the effect his words had made. "Do you want to borrow Usa-chan?"

I managed to smile sadly at him and shake my head. "Thank you, but no. You... you should keep Usa-chan with you, sweetie. I'll be fine." Which, really, I was sure I _would_ be; I just wasn't sure how _soon_ I would be.

Mitsukuni nodded, and Takashi's hand squeezed my shoulder before they both turned to leave, Takashi glancing over his shoulder at me with a slightly concerned expression. It caused my stomach to twist in an unpleasant way, so I looked down at the floor.

"Well, I guess I should get back and take notes, huh?" Tamaki asked, his tone sounding a little sad.

I couldn't stop myself from blurting, "Tamaki?" I lifted my head slightly, glancing up at him in order to determine how I should proceed. The blonde was watching me with his head cocked and his expression worried. "I'm... I'm sorry for snapping at you and ignoring you. That was... totally uncalled for and insanely rude."

Something about the situation apparently caused him to revert to his normal, ridiculous state, because the next thing I knew, I was in a bone-crushing hug while Tamaki cooed, "Aww, Tsuki-hime, you're so cute~"

"Tamaki." Kyoya's voice was normal, his tone casual, and if it were any other situation, I would have thought he was simply bored. But he was striving to be polite; I could hear the strain that belied the indifference he was trying to exhibit.

The blonde knew it, too, for he immediately released me. "I'll check in on you two as soon as I can," he promised, and with a smile at me, he turned and left, as well.

Even after the door clicked shut behind him, Kyoya and I stayed silent, unmoving. I swallowed nervously, unsure of how to proceed. The silence stretched, and the tension thickened, and I was vaguely aware of a choking noise.

"Damn it, Tsuki, breathe," Kyoya hissed, and I blinked quickly as I realized Kyoya had a hand on the back of my neck and was pushing my head down slightly. I gasped in a harsh breath, felt it shudder out, and I forced myself to focus on regulating my breathing.

A few minutes later, after I was breathing normally, I allowed myself to pay attention to my surroundings and found that I was sitting in a chair, Kyoya's hands warm on the back of my neck and on my left knee; I was bent almost completely at my waist, my chest nearly pressed to my legs. I slowly attempted to sit up, and Kyoya allowed it, though his hands didn't move until after I was able to turn and look at him, smiling weakly.

"I'm sorry, Kyoya," I murmured, meeting his gaze. He didn't respond, his eyes shifting away from me. I fiddled with the skirts of my school uniform, but I didn't look away from him as I spoke softly. "Like Hiroshi said, I haven't really slept the last few days. I've been stressed trying to get ahead on work for school since I leave for two weeks starting Wednesday, and I've been worried about if you'll like your birthday present, and then my mother's still been a wild card the past few weeks—which really doesn't help because I never know if she's going to brush me off when I try to talk to her or if she's going to randomly call to bitch at me about something—and to top it all off, once my distraction wore off this morning at three am, I started slowly feeling this swarm of emotions collide and coil with each other to the point I couldn't tell what was what, and all it took was a prod from Tamaki to make them shift and cause me to strike out like I did, but I know none of that is an excuse, and I'm sorry, Kyoya, I'm just _so sorry_, and I know it's not—"

"_Tsuki, stop,_" Kyoya ordered, his dark grey eyes boring into mine. His hands were framing my face, and I wondered briefly when that had happened. "Breathe, Tsuki; don't talk, just breathe. In through your nose and out through your mouth."

The shuddering breath I inhaled surprised me more than it should have. It had been a while since I'd had an attack like this, and it had been even longer since it had taken control of me so badly for such a prolonged period of time. This was a lot harder to shake than any of the others I'd had. I almost apologized again, but something must have given me away.

"I thought I told you not to talk." Kyoya's voice was softer than it had been, tinted with a little amusement, and his right thumb lightly stroked back and forth over my left cheekbone. He hesitated a moment before leaning his forehead against mine, and I allowed my eyes to close as I tried to focus on breathing properly. "To be honest I am surprised it took this long for me to witness one of your anxiety attacks." After a pause, he added, "Though I didn't expect it to be this bad."

I had to fight the urge to apologize, my fingers gripping the skirts of my school uniform even tighter.

"You should have asked for help with your schoolwork. I don't know how many times I have to tell you for you to understand I don't mind helping. I wish you had talked to me about it, and about the phone calls with your mother. I thought that was rather clear, as well. Or is talking to me about it worse than having an anxiety attack?" he queried, aiming for amusement at the end. I opened my eyes to look up at him: his lips were twisted in a slight smirk, his eyes a bit less dark. "And of course I'm going to like my birthday present. It's from you."

I was slightly stunned by the sudden admission, and it must have shown because he smiled wryly. "You needed to hear it, or I wouldn't say it," Kyoya answered my unspoken question before he stood. "Come on; some sleep will help. We can discuss this more after." He held his hand out to me, and I took it and allowed him to tug me up from where I was sitting. "Whenever Honey-senpai uses the bed, we bring it out here into the club room. Would you prefer for it to be out here, or do you want to leave it in the storage room?"

I frowned slightly as I thought it over. "I guess it would be better to have it out here. That way you can get up and work while I'm sleeping," I answered softly. I knew he would probably do it either way, but I was fairly certain he'd feel better about doing it if he could easily turn around and see me.

It only took a few minutes for us to get the bed situated, and I toed off my shoes while Kyoya sat on the edge of the bed, angled so that his back was resting against the headboard while his feet were hanging off the side of the bed. I crawled under the covers and, making a split-second decision, curled up beside him, my head resting on a pillow. I angled my head to look up at him because I had a few things I wanted to say before I basically passed out. "Kyoya?"

He was already looking at me, and he smiled slightly with a little shake of his head as he lightly brushed his fingers through my hair. "Hm?"

I fought the initial urge to close my eyes; the gentle tugs at my scalp were more soothing than they should be. "I'm sorry I caused a scene in front of our class. That wasn't fair to you," I murmured. "Actually, that wasn't fair to anyone. And I think I made a scene in the hallway, too, didn't I?"

Kyoya's response was slow in coming, and I assumed he had originally thought my question was rhetorical. "You did," he answered softly. "However, I believe if anything, everyone is simply concerned, if that's what worries you."

"That doesn't really make it any better," I remarked dryly, my lips twisting in a somewhat self-deprecating smile. "I'll apologize to our classmates. And I'd like to apologize to the girls during club hours. If not today, then tomorrow. And the rest of our friends, of course." I blinked rapidly a few times, feeling the weight of sleep pressing down on me. "I know apologizing to you doesn't make things better. In fact I'll probably be quite disappointed in you if you don't reprimand me about all this."

"You have made that quite a difficult task. You are clearly in no state to have that discussion today, and you will be leaving Wednesday, so having it tomorrow would not be ideal," the black-haired teen sighed, though I could have sworn I heard an undertone of amusement.

I frowned slightly, furrowing my brows. "I'll be fine after sleeping it off, Kyoya, so having it today would be fine. Having it tomorrow morning would be fine, as well." It took a moment for my mind to come up with any reasons why he would postpone such a thing, and almost instantly the weight of sleep evaporated as I bolted upright, turning to face him anxiously. His eyes went wide as he inhaled sharply, but I couldn't spare the time to worry about startling him. "Wait, Kyoya, are you— this didn't— I mean, I know we aren't exactly—"

A finger was pressed firmly against my lips, and Kyoya studied me before remarking, "Your stunt today hasn't done any lasting damage; if anything, it will likely draw in more clients—girls who were unaware of anything in the first place will be curious about how it plays out."

I furrowed my brows at him, making a confused sound and attempting to part my lips so I could tell him that _that_ was not what I had been concerned about.

But then Kyoya's lips quirked into a smirk, and he brought his free hand up to his mouth to stifle his chuckle, and I found myself sputtering in surprise before indignation flared. "That's not funny, Kyoya!" I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest and looking away from him. "Why don't you go do some bookwork? I suddenly find I don't want to have you sitting here any—" My word was cut off by a very undignified squeak produced from being suddenly pulled into a warm embrace. My own body betrayed me by sinking further into it, and Kyoya's breath was ghosting over my ear before I had the chance to fight against him.

"I felt I was verified such a ridiculous statement given your absurd conclusion," he murmured, his voice warm with amusement. "Contrary to what you may think, I don't enjoy reprimanding you. I would even go so far as to say I dislike it more than you do. However, you typically _listen_ when I do it, and if that results in something like this never occurring again, I would rather see you slightly upset than see you absolutely distraught." I flinched involuntarily, and he sighed softly. "This is going about as well as our discussion when you were in the hospital last semester. Then again, we seem to have most of our important talks when you're not feeling well, so I shouldn't be surprised."

Heat spread through my face, and I relaxed against him again. "Sorry," I muttered sheepishly. "I can't always control my responses."

"I know, which is why I would prefer not to discuss this problem just yet," Kyoya answered wryly.

I frowned, tilting my head back and resting my chin on his chest. "I would much rather discuss it before I leave, though. Letting it sit for two weeks is sure to cause more problems than talking about it today or tomorrow. I can handle it."

Kyoya chuckled softly, and I made a quiet noise of protest when he jostled me as he shifted into whatever position he apparently felt more comfortable in. "Perhaps we will, but not right now considering you can't keep your eyes open."

I hadn't even realized my eyes were closed, but now that he'd said it, I could feel the heavy weight on them. "That doesn't affect my hearing," I mumbled, mostly for the sake of arguing.

"Maybe I should go do that bookwork like you suggested earlier." Kyoya sounded mostly nonchalant, but I still knew he wasn't entirely serious. That didn't stop me from gripping onto his blazer and snuggling closer to him in an effort to keep him from moving. I must have also whined "no" or something akin to that because he chuckled. "Go to sleep now, Tsuki. Our talk can wait."

I muttered something unintelligible but stopped fighting it; Kyoya was warm and comfortable and safe, and sleep was simply a few breaths away.

* * *

><p>The talk with Kyoya didn't go as badly as either of us had expected—and it was obvious the following morning that we were both glad to have gotten it out of the way. I'd apologized to the host club's customers the afternoon prior, though I was pretty sure everyone knew I'd been half asleep, and things had gone really well. Most of the girls had just been concerned about me, and (as Kyoya had predicted) there were already a few new faces around the club. It would probably never cease to amaze me just how much rich, teenage girls enjoyed watching any form of drama or romance unfold.<p>

The next morning, even though most students had already heard about the prior apology the afternoon earlier, I apologized to my classmates for my actions and then fielded questions from several of the guys in our class who were (for some reason) interested in whether or not I was in a relationship with Kyoya or Hiroshi. I had ended up laughing simply because, well, they had asked about _Hiroshi_ of all people. Thankfully it had discouraged the boys from Kyoya, too, so they all thought I was single. Which, if you wanted to get technical about it, I _was_ single, but I had _something_ with Kyoya—it just wasn't anything we'd labeled.

What I was not expecting (but should have been) was the insane amount of people who wished both Kyoya and me a "happy birthday." It hadn't happened all that often back in America because most students wanted to ignore me unless they wanted an autograph. But _here_ just about every person I ran into throughout the day stopped me just to say those two words—and while it was a little embarrassing, it was also oddly exhilarating and was just really..._nice. _I said as much to Kyoya and Tamaki during our lunch break, and they both simply chuckled at me.

Then came club hours—and presents.

There weren't a _lot_ of them, thankfully, because I wouldn't have accepted them all. As it were, the only reason I really accepted _any_ of them was because Kyoya was watching to insure I did—and because the presents weren't pricey. A few of them were just photos the girls had taken and framed (a couple of which were from Halloween and only succeeded in making me blush), and they were probably the most expensive. But it wasn't any of _my _gifts that really bothered me.

It was Kyoya's. And it wasn't so much the _gifts_ as the way the _gifters_ were acting. I was used to seeing Kyoya be fawned over; that wasn't a big deal, usually. But _this_—the usually demure and shy girls who were honest-to-goodness _flirting_ with him as he opened their gifts—I wasn't used to, and I couldn't quite squash the irritation that swelled inside my chest. Gritting my teeth together, I forced myself to look away and attempt to find a distraction. It was a lot easier than I expected since at that exact moment Hikaru and Kaoru sat down on either side of me.

"What's wrong, Tsuki-hime?" the twins queried amusedly.

I made myself shrug and answer nonchalantly, "Nothing. Just waiting for club hours to be over."

Hikaru and Kaoru shared a look over my head (that I promptly ignored) and then two arms were draped over and around my shoulders. "You know, Tsuki-hime, this is exactly how things went last year," Hikaru commented.

"Mhm. All the girls ignored us in favor of Kyoya-senpai. Even Tamaki-senpai wasn't getting much attention," Kaoru added.

I managed to keep my shoulders from stiffening, and I still refused to look in Kyoya's direction. "It's his birthday. Of course they're going to give him a lot of attention. I would think you two would be happy for the distraction," I retorted quietly to insure none of the girls heard.

"Wow, Hiroshi was right!" Emiko's exclamation startled me for more than one reason, the main one being I hadn't known she was even at the club that afternoon.

I looked up at her (and ultimately Tamotsu and Hiroshi) warily, venturing to ask, "Right about what?"

Tamotsu was the one who smirked and answered, "Your reaction to how things would be today."

"I'm just sitting on a couch! What's wrong with that?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

Hiroshi chuckled and nodded his head in the direction of Kyoya. "If you weren't avoiding looking in a particular direction, nothing would be wrong with it."

I felt heat flare in my face, and I coughed delicately. "I'm not avoiding looking anywhere."

That set off a chorus of laughs, which only caused the heat from my blush to spread to my ears. "You really are cute, Tsuki-hime," Kaoru commented, and I scowled at him in response.

"All of you are so mean," I murmured defeatedly.

"Aw, don't be like that," the twins cajoled.

Hiroshi rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Really, Sook, you know he probably hates it. If he's getting _any _enjoyment out of it, it's because he knows it's making you jealous."

I opened my mouth to say I wasn't jealous but closed it when all five of them gave me a knowing look. In turn, I frowned down at the skirts of my dress, my hands falling to my lap in order to pluck at the yellow fabric. "I can deal with it when they're mostly afraid to really approach him, but for some reason them flirting, even if he's not flirting back, just bugs me. I mean, we're not really together, so it's not like I even have the right to _be_ jealous at all. I just... I guess I expected more from the girls," I mumbled.

It was silent for a moment before Emiko spoke. "You _could_ get back at them."

My brows furrowed together as I looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

Her wide grin was a mite concerning. "There are several ways to do it, but I was thinking getting one of the males in this room to kiss you would work really well. Not only would it cause quite a distraction, Kyoya wouldn't be happy about it, and the girls would probably go back to their demure selves."

"Huh," the twins intoned, and it sounded like they were actually thinking about it.

I, however, was not. "Are you _crazy_? That's a terrible idea! If not just because he'd be angry with whomever it is, but because there aren't any _choices_. Tamotsu is homosexual, and he knows it wouldn't mean anything with Hiroshi. Takashi and Mitsukuni are _obviously _not an option. Tamaki's over his little crush or whatever, and I don't want to even start to mix things up with him. That leaves Hikaru and Kaoru, and—"

"One of them would be perfect," Hiroshi cut in, and I stared at him, mouth agape. "You spend time with them a lot, Sook. Honestly, the better option would be Hikaru since Kyoya doesn't know him as well as he does Kaoru."

I floundered for words for a moment before shaking my head and sputtering, "N-no! Nope, not happening, guys. Thanks, but we can do it a different way." Before they could prepare themselves, I pushed myself up from the couch and moved around them, making a beeline for Takashi and Mitsukuni in the hopes that they could keep the others from doing anything crazy.

I didn't make it.

"Hey, Tsuki-hime!" Hikaru called out loudly, and because I couldn't pretend I hadn't heard him, I sighed, slowed down to a stop, and turned partially to look at him. He was crossing the room in longer strides than I had expected, so he caught up to me rather quickly, and before I knew it, he was tilting my head up and gently pressing his lips against mine. I made a noise of surprise and went rigid, and he was lifting his head before the screams even started. He smirked and winked at me, announcing, "Happy birthday," before turning around and heading back to his brother's side. **(4)**

I blushed since the girls were definitely going crazy over it, and I turned around and hastily made my way to Takashi and Mitsukuni. Takashi had a hint of a smile around his mouth while Mitsukuni simply grinned widely at me. I held up a hand and simply stated, "Don't. Blame Emiko and Hiroshi."

Mitsukuni giggled and shrugged. "It's fine, Tsuki-hime! We expected something since we had a feeling it would bother you. You'll probably need to talk to Tama-chan, though. He doesn't look so good."

I grimaced and chanced a look in the other blonde teen's direction, and Mitsukuni was correct. Tamaki looked like nothing in his world made sense anymore. When his gaze met mine, however, his expression changed, and I barely had the chance to groan, "Oh, no," before he turned and stormed off in Hikaru's direction. I took off in a run in an effort to head him off, but he was already yelling nonsense and dragging Hikaru up off the couch by his shirt.

"Boss, cut it out!" Kaoru exclaimed, which only prompted Tamaki to turn his attention to the other twin.

"And you! You just let him do it! I bet you schemed with him!"

I managed to get in front of Kaoru before the blonde teen could grab him as well. "Tamaki, stop! What are you _doing_?"

"We are respectable young men! We don't force ourselves on ladies!" Tamaki exclaimed, giving Hikaru another shake.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I strove for patience. "Tamaki, he didn't _force _himself on me. It was practically a peck on the lips. It's really not that big of a deal. It's not like he stole my first kiss or something."

"But—" Tamaki looked lost for words, and I felt bad for him, but there was no way I could tell him it was their way of enacting revenge on Kyoya for me. Especially since I hadn't _wanted_ to do it.

"Just let go of Hikaru, okay? Really, it's fine. If I had been mad at him, I would have done something about it. You know that."

Tamaki pouted slightly but did as I asked and released Hikaru's shirt. "Thank you, Tamaki. I know you had good intentions." I smiled warmly at him when he glanced at me, and he brightened up. He shot one last look at both Hikaru and Kaoru before he turned around and retreated back to the area of the room Kyoya was in. I then rounded on all five of my friends. "Give me one reason to _not _ignore the lot of you tonight."

"It worked," Tamotsu answered almost immediately. I frowned at him in confusion. "Look at the girls and Kyoya. Our plan worked."

I chanced a quick glance over my shoulder to see that Tamotsu was, indeed, correct. Most of the girls were too busy chatting excitedly with each other, and the girls who were still focused on Kyoya were obviously wary about interacting with him, even though he still _looked_ like he was in a pleasant mood. The only reason I even knew he wasn't was because of the set of his shoulders. I'd seen them like that several times, back in the last semester before I'd ended up in the hospital, and we'd managed to (somehow) resolve the issues keeping us from becoming friends.

I found myself frowning as I looked back at my friends, and Hiroshi groaned. "Sook, don't look like that. If we really need to, we can tell him the truth."

I shook my head and sighed, pushing a hand through my hair. "No, it's fine. He'd only end up more irritated with all of us. I... I'll handle it later. I really don't want him being angry with Hikaru and Kaoru."

Hikaru and Kaoru shared a look before replying, "We don't want him to be mad at you, either."

"They're right; you even told us not to do it," Emiko agreed.

"I leave for a couple weeks tomorrow. It's honestly better—and easier—if I deal with it. Really, it'll be fine. That's not why I was frowning anyway. I just feel like it was really unfair to do that to him on his birthday," I murmured, kicking lightly at the floor.

It was silent for a long moment, and as a result, we were all startled when we heard Tamaki suddenly exclaim, "All right, everyone! Operation: Make Fuyumi Think Tsuki's Birthday Party is Still a Surprise is underway!"

"Wait, what? She thinks I don't know?" I questioned, looking towards Kyoya for confirmation.

The black-haired boy nodded, smiling pleasantly; it made me feel sick to my stomach. "Like I said, she's been planning this for quite some time. I did not wish to inform her that you knew, so Tamaki came up with a ridiculous plan. Instead of doing that, however, I am simply asking you to act surprised."

Normally, I would've fought a smile at how callously Kyoya had dismissed Tamaki's plan, but I was more concerned with Kyoya's current forced niceties. I'd expected him to be a little irritated about the scheme the others had come up with, but he seemed a lot more bothered than I'd thought he'd be. I swallowed and nodded. "All right," I answered softly. Kyoya gave a short nod to acknowledge he'd heard me and then turned to Tamaki to—I assume—go over last-minute instructions.

A gentle, brief squeeze to my hand had me blinking and looking to my left to see Kaoru smiling apologetically at me. I managed a smile back before everyone jumped into action, and I found myself being herded along with the hosts into Kyoya's limousine. Somehow (likely because some higher being in the world was out to get me) I ended up sitting beside Kyoya, and it was definitely one of the more nerve-wrecking and awkward fifteen minutes of my life. The other hosts carried on like usual, though I was fairly certain they knew Kyoya and I were not acting normal.

It was only a slight relief when we arrived at the Ootori Estate, but I knew there was no way things would go well if there was obvious tension between the two of us. I gently grabbed Kyoya's arm, smiling weakly at him when he spared me a glance. "Can you walk a little slower? I want to talk." Kyoya's response was to slow his pace, which was good enough for me. "I'm sorry about what happened during club hours today. I was kind of... jealous at one point, and a few of the others picked up on it. Someone jokingly suggested Hikaru or Kaoru should kiss me or something, and I guess Hikaru decided to make it dramatic, but you of all people know how the twins get when they're bored. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you want to be mad with anyone, then it should be me since I was the one who failed at hiding my feelings, and he was just trying to help me feel better."

"Did it work?" Kyoya's question caught me off guard since it was _not _the response I'd been expecting. I came to a full stop and looked up at him confusedly. He stopped as well, but he didn't look at me as he elaborated, "Did it make you feel better?"

I worried my lower lip between my teeth for a short moment before shaking my head. "No, it didn't, but that was mainly because of how it ended up affecting you and the girls who were talking with you. I know you don't particularly _like_ the fawning, but I also know you don't _dislike_ the attention that comes with it. It's your birthday, and you deserve to have that. Hell, even if it wasn't your birthday, I'd want you to have it, and none of us had the right to screw that up for you."

Kyoya glanced at me, a hint of a smile around his lips. "Hiroshi was right. You really do dislike feeling jealous."

As per usual, Kyoya had managed to confuse me way too easily. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The black-haired teen chuckled before quirking a brow at me. "You didn't find it odd that all of our clients spoke with only me today?" **(5)**

"Well, I guess, I thought it was a _little_ weird, but they're always—" I stopped mid-sentence and stared at him, my mouth opening and closing a few times as I struggled for words. "Wait. Are you telling me that all of _that_—" I gestured vaguely behind me, "—was an _act_?"

"Hikaru kissing you was not part of the plan, but I figured out that must have been Hiroshi, Emiko, and Tamotsu with their form of revenge for you," Kyoya explained. He smirked slightly and shook his head. "I still can't quite believe you fell for it."

Irritation sparked inside me, and I turned on my heel and started walking up the steps into the Ootoris' home. I didn't even care if Kyoya was following behind me or not because I was on a mission. I would do the surprised act for Fuyumi and hug her before I rounded on my friends. I didn't even care who the audience was.

Granted, what I was _not _expecting was to hear a chorus of "surprise!" the exact moment I walked into the foyer; the only times I'd ever been to such a party, we'd camped out in the kitchen or living room. The good news was that I was definitely surprised. The bad news was that I emitted a frightened squeak and jumped back, which ended up with both Kyoya and me in a heap on the ground.

"Ow," I muttered, pushing myself up off the floor and rubbing at my shoulder. Kyoya hissed slightly and rubbed a hand over his sternum, where I most likely slammed my shoulder into him. "Sorry," I apologized with a wince, holding a hand out to help him up before I could remember I was technically angry with him. The moment he was up on his feet, we were practically surrounded with people asking if we were okay, and I took that time to make a huge deal out of the party and hug Fuyumi when she shyly admitted it was her idea.

After everyone had settled down, I turned on the hosts and my three other friends. "All of you are so mean!"

It only took Hiroshi a couple of seconds to piece together what I was saying and look at Kyoya. "You _told_ her?!"

Kyoya smiled politely and replied, "I didn't see a reason to keep it from her."

"Kyoya told you what?" Fuyumi queried, shooting her younger brother a dark look.

"Apparently all of them were in on a big scheme during clubs today, and it was only _after_ I apologized to Kyoya for something Hikaru did because of said scheme that he told me about it," I answered, crossing my arms. "It was an experiment to see how I'd react to something."

Fuyumi held up her hands and took a step back. "This sounds like something I don't want to get in the middle of."

I frowned in confusion before I placed the tone in her voice. "Oh, come on! _You_, too?" I exclaimed before looking at Kyoya. "This is totally insensible! We aren't even technically _together_. We've been on a single date, if you could even call it that, so I honestly have _no reason_ to be jealous over anyone flirting with you."

"Wait, wait—why don't you think the two of you are together?" Fuyumi asked, her voice a mixture of concern and confusion.

I sighed heavily and ran a hand through my hair. "I told Kyoya a few weeks ago that a kiss didn't mean we were together. And it's true. Plenty of people kiss and go on dates, but that doesn't always mean they're exclusively together. I also told him that he had to be the one to ask."

"You have got to be two of the most stubborn people I have ever dealt with," Fuyumi muttered, shaking her head.

"Now you know what I deal with on a daily basis," Hiroshi commented. "I've tried to get her to budge on that position, but she refuses. Given what I've seen and heard from them both, however, they have a few steps they need to take before they label their relationship. And before you ask, Sook, the best example I can give you is what happened yesterday since Kyoya was correct that how _bad_ you were could have been avoided."

I felt my face heat up from embarrassment, which only prompted Fuyumi to ask, "What happened yesterday?"

Thankfully, Kyoya intervened before any more could be said. "It's not important, and it was mostly handled. I think it's time we move on to dinner so we have time for gifts afterward."

I perked up at the mention of food. "Dinner?"

My excited question was met with laughter.

* * *

><p>Dinner went over really well, as did most of the gift-exchanging. The twins had actually <em>made<em> me an outfit—design and all—that I loved, and I'd been forced to put it on for pictures so that I wasn't in my school uniform. It hadn't even crossed my mind that I hadn't opened a gift from Kyoya until Fuyumi pulled me aside.

"You and Kyoya are going to exchange your gifts alone. Hiroshi hinted that you'd probably prefer it that way since you're worried he might not like it, and... well, your gift is from both Kyoya and me, but it's also from everyone else because they all helped," Fuyumi explained in a rush, keeping her voice down. I must have looked confused (which would not be a surprise given how often I had been the past weeks) because she simply smiled and said, "You'll understand when you see it. It might actually be a bit overwhelming, which is why we thought it'd be better for him to be there to help explain." She made a face at herself. "I'm sorry. I know I'm just confusing you more, but it'll be resolved soon. We've put your gift in the lounge area on his end of the house. If you'll go ahead and go, he should be there a few minutes after."

I blinked a couple of times before nodding. I was still caught up on the fact that the gift I was receiving could be "overwhelming," whatever she meant by that. "All right, thanks. I guess I'll see you in a little bit," I replied. Fuyumi smiled brightly at me before ushering me out of the room, and I brought my hands up to massage my temples as I walked through the maze of hallways that I somehow knew better than the ones in my own home.

His gift (although technically it was more like gift_s_ since there were multiple boxes) was sitting directly in front of the couch, and I couldn't help but keep looking at the stack anxiously as I sat on the opposite end of the couch to wait for Kyoya to show up. As a result, by the time he walked into the room, I was fairly certain my lip was bleeding.

Kyoya glanced at me and shook his head, his lips curving into a smile. "So I made that admission yesterday for no reason."

I opened my mouth, then closed it, and opened it once more to say, "I'm sorry. I can't help it. It's not just you." Kyoya didn't reply, but he also didn't move towards the couch, either. My stomach was basically pure knots. "Can we get this over with?"

He didn't move for a couple of seconds, but then he walked over and sat down beside me. I knew the moment his gaze landed on the boxes because he looked slightly startled. "What—"

"Just open the top one," I interrupted, gripping the seat cushion rather tightly. Kyoya glanced at me curiously before doing as I'd ordered. His expression wasn't guarded for one of the first times I'd ever seen, so when he saw the manila folders, I saw the look of wonder on his face, followed shortly by curiosity when he caught sight of the labels. He pulled one of the folders out and started flipping through it—and then looked at me in complete surprise. "I got the idea after you'd asked me to look into Haruhi, and then Tamaki told me about how you had discussed needing a filing system for information on the girls so you'd be able to cater to them better." I smiled shyly and ducked my head. "It was going to be your Christmas gift, but then I couldn't think of anything to do for your birthday, so I worked on it basically nonstop." When Kyoya didn't say anything and instead shut the folder, I winced and smiled apologetically up at him. "But I guess that was kind of a stupid gift idea since it's useful for everyone and not just y—mm—"

I wasn't prepared for Kyoya to kiss me at all, let alone as ardently as he did. I gasped against his mouth as his lips moved insistently over mine, and he coaxed me into dizzying, open-mouthed kisses that had me trembling and fighting back embarrassing sounds. My stomach was in entirely different knots, and warmth was tingling pleasantly beneath my skin when I finally pulled away to breathe. Kyoya was panting slightly, and his breath was hitting my lips in warm puffs of air that made me shiver. I was also acutely aware of the fact that one of his hands was tangled in my hair, and I found myself biting down on my lower lip to stifle a moan when a gentle tug against my scalp sent pleasure arcing down my spine.

I cleared my throat before venturing to ask, "Not that I, uh, mind, but what brought that on, exactly?"

Kyoya opened his mouth to—I assumed—answer me, but then he was kissing me breathless again. He stopped after a moment and leaned his forehead against mine, cursing quietly. "That answer will have to wait until later, or everyone will come looking for us. All you need to know is I couldn't imagine a better realistic gift than these files."

I felt my face flush darker and smiled shyly up at the black-haired teen. "Really?"

Kyoya chuckled and sat back, putting some distance between us once more. "It's your turn," he announced, gesturing almost lazily towards the wrapped gift on the table. His demeanor was a little off for the nonchalance he was trying to exhibit, and his voice held just a touch of nervousness. I hesitated for a moment before reaching out and picking up the gift and lying it in my lap.

Kyoya stayed silent as I unwrapped the gift, and I was a little surprised when it ended up being a photo album. "Um..." I glanced at Kyoya curiously.

"Open it," Kyoya answered my silent question.

I looked back at the photo album and lifted the cover, my eyes widening when I saw the first photo was of Hiroshi and me when we were little—probably not even more than a year or two old. Intrigued, I turned the page to find several more photos like the first one, some with Takashi and Mitsukuni included while others had Tamotsu and Emiko. I came to a stop several pages later, my jaw dropping slightly. In the photo I was around the same age as the previous ones, possibly a year older, and it was taken in the same place, so I assumed it was most likely some sort of function my mother's or father's company had held annually. What was surprising, however, was the little boy next to me. "Is this...?" I trailed off slightly, unable to even fathom what I was seeing.

Kyoya's answer was soft and careful. "Yes."

I forced myself to look up from the grinning boy in the photo to the very similar-looking boy next to me. "Is this the only one?"

Kyoya watched me for a moment before replying, "No."

I looked back down at the photo album and took a steadying breath before starting to flip through the pages. Kyoya remained quiet beside me until I finally stopped on one of several photos where I was probably around six or seven, and Kyoya was nowhere to be found in any of them. "I'm not... were we... You're the boy I couldn't really remember," I stated firmly, not looking up at him. I didn't need a verbal affirmation since I _knew _he was, and as such I didn't wait for him to give me one. "You were probably my best friend, after Hiroshi. We had _sleepovers_. One of _your brothers_ accidentally threw me into a coffee table." I raised my gaze to meet his, having a difficult time believing the proof that was before my eyes. "And my parents fought over if I should be allowed to spend time with you. My mom was against the idea so whole-heartedly because she thought... Were our fathers trying to set up an arranged marriage?"

Kyoya smirked and shook his head. "No. I asked your father about it, and his response was akin to, 'You two would have started acting like you hated each other just to be contrary to our plans.' He even had a few examples to give me. Apparently we were terrible influences on each other." **(6)**

I nodded, feeling mollified but making a mental note to talk to my mother about it when I saw her the next day. I returned to flipping through the photo album, smiling to myself when I noticed Kyoya had relaxed a good bit. My mind was still spinning a little from the onslaught of memories and the fact that I finally knew who the boy from my childhood was. I opened my mouth to ask Kyoya when he'd remembered all of this when a picture that seemed really out of place caught my eye—and then caused me to blush and choke on my first word.

"What is it?" Kyoya queried, and I could only gesture to the photo album as I tried to gather my wits enough to make normal words again.

"I—I didn't know that anyone _knew_ we'd done that, let alone took a _picture_ of it," I finally managed to explain.

Kyoya smirked. "With how many pictures they took, how does this surprise you? Besides, we were curious children who didn't get why adults liked kissing so much."

I was still blushing as I shrugged and turned the page. "I remember it _happening_. But I guess it was less embarrassing to think no one else had seen it. I must admit you kiss a lot better now than you did back then."

"Even I wasn't born knowing how to make someone's knees buckle from a kiss," Kyoya answered nonchalantly, and I scowled at him before elbowing him in the side.

"When did you even remember all this?" I questioned, cocking my head. "I know it wasn't when I first got here, or you wouldn't have been so surprised by Fuyumi knowing who I was."

Kyoya released a quiet sigh. "You are correct. It was that following weekend. Fuyumi came back over and showed me some old photo albums with you in them. After talking it out with her, I was able to remember things she didn't know or didn't have photos of. I believe that was part of what caused me to realize I had started developing feelings for you. I know I had quite the schoolboy crush on you when we were kids."

I smiled shyly at the admission and ducked my head to hide my blush. A moment later I lifted it to send him a sly grin and to comment, "Not that you need the ego boost, but from what little I remember and know about myself, that crush was reciprocated. I wouldn't have kissed just any boy. Most of them had cooties." Kyoya laughed softly, reaching out and pulling me into a hug. I went willingly into it and rested my head against his shoulder. "You know, I wonder how different things would be if my mom hadn't gotten her way and had stayed in Japan after the divorce. I doubt I'd have had ambitions to be a singer for any part of my life, since I mostly did that in the hopes that when we toured, I'd get to see my father and friends. Plus, I really hated being in school over there." I paused for a moment before adding, "And of course, I'd like to know how things would have evolved between us, though I get the feeling it would have been worse."

I chanced a glance at Kyoya to see him smirking. "Most likely. I imagine we would have had a falling out of sorts, and the entire school would be concerned about us having the same classes."

Laughter bubbled out of me, and I turned my face into Kyoya's shoulder to keep it muffled. When I tilted my head back to grin up at him and agree, he was smiling down at me, and it was disarming enough to make me glance away with a blush.

"You never quite react the way I expect you will," Kyoya commented, and I looked up at him curiously. "Sometimes I will say or do things, expecting one response, and you will respond an entirely different way."

I opened my mouth to ask if that was a good or a bad thing, but before I could even get the first syllable out, I heard Fuyumi's voice asking, "What in the world is taking them so long?"

Kyoya and I both jerked up and away from each other, leaving me fumbling with the photo album as it was nearly dislodged from my lap. I looked over to the hallway as the group walked into the lounge, and quirked a brow as Hiroshi remarked, "Well, it looks like it went well enough."

I laughed and shook my head while they all came forward to see what I'd gotten Kyoya and to look at the photos in the album. During the ruckus, I felt a hand grab mine and glanced over to see Kyoya looking at me. I cocked my head at him in a silent question, and he spoke just loudly enough that I could hear, "Happy birthday, Tsuki-hime."

I blushed and scowled at him before retorting, "Happy birthday, _asshat_."

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> In case you lot don't remember this guy, he made his first appearance in chapter five, I think, at Sook's "welcome home" party. (He's maybe a smidgen important. Maybe. But his importance is more-so in the sequel to this story.)

**(2) **So, this is the beginning of the iffy parts for this. Tsuki has _no _experience with things like this, so her responses frighten her. She doesn't enjoy being out of control (which you'll see more of after this if you took the time to read this note before reading the rest of the story).

**(3) **I have my reasons for this, but I mainly have it like this because Hiroshi is probably the biggest TsuKyo shipper of us all. xD

**(4) **Please don't hate me for this. It doesn't _mean_ anything, and it's explained, I promise. I would never have it happen if it wasn't meaningless.

**(5) **In my mind Kyoya would be intrigued to know if he could make Sook jealous-and to what extent he could do such. So...yeah, this is another "plsdonthateme" moment, I guess? It wasn't just him in on it, though; it's everyone, and it's mostly harmless, I promise.

**(6) **And finally we have it all wrapped up! So - Kyoya and Sook were _just_ besties, not betrothed. Sook's mom would never let her be in an arranged marriage (which will be explained later) and it was honestly just sheer dumb luck for Yoshio and Shirou to have their kids like each other. I've never liked the idea of setting Sook up with anyone, so my preference has always been for the two to just have little kid crushes on each other, and then the rest is kind of history. (Sook's parents split up because they both had extremely different views, btw, not just because of this one instance. That's just the main thing Sook remembers since it was about her.)

And there we have it! I really hope you guys enjoyed it, and if not, please feel free to tell me why; I'm always willing to accept criticism.

(I'll insert the note about the chapter title whenever a song is actually chosen for it. I don't have one yet, but I want this out for you guys, so it can wait.)

On a side note, my friend (now TwinSnow21) and I did some revamping on her story, and since her old account got locked because of an inactive Yahoo email, she has the story posted under a different name: Beautiful Disaster. Her OC (Kei) will be making appearances starting this next chapter, which will hopefully be out soon!

Thank you guys so much for reading! And as always, any sort of review is definitely appreciated!

**~ DM ;)**


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